Eddie Morales didn’t think twice when his phone buzzed on Monday evening. Another midsummer roster move, he figured. But what he saw made him sit up straight. “Rays to host all postseason games at Steinbrenner Field, including the World Series.” He blinked. Read it again. And still couldn’t believe Major League Baseball had just handed one team what many see as an unprecedented playoff edge.
That edge? Familiarity. Comfort. And a home-field advantage that feels tailor-made. With renovations underway at Tropicana Field, the Rays have called George M. Steinbrenner Field home for over a month now. It’s a spring training park. But it’s also become their routine, their rhythm, their October backdrop. And now, it’s their postseason fortress.
“That’s not just a temporary venue anymore,” one league executive told The Athletic. “That’s a strategic asset.”
BREAKING: MLB has decided #Rays will have opportunity to play all postseason games at Steinbrenner Field, including World Series.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) July 15, 2025
Steinbrenner Field wasn’t designed for hosting playoff games. It’s mainly used by the Yankees for their spring training sessions. It can accommodate just over 11k spectators and lacks the infrastructure and atmosphere of a traditional MLB playoff park. For opponents, it will feel more like March than the Fall Classic. For the Rays, it’s just another Tuesday.
MLB, for its part, defended the decision, citing ongoing construction timelines and logistical limitations. But that explanation hasn’t satisfied many within the league.
Now, this isn’t about the Rays manipulating the system. It’s about the system bending in their favor. Teams spend all season chasing home-field advantage, grinding for those final few wins that could secure a Game 7 in front of their own fans. For Tampa Bay, that edge now comes without the grind.
Well, to be fair, according to one Reddit fan, last year, at least 35k tickets were sold out for each playoff game. But during the 2023 Wild Card Series, the Rays could sell 80% of their total 25k seats. So, probably a logical decision from the league!
But this decision could have reaching effects on the rest of the postseason. Will visiting teams adjust? Will the smaller stage take some shine off baseball’s biggest moments? And if the Rays go the distance as they’re very capable of doing, will the title carry an asterisk?
One thing’s certain: October in Tampa just got a lot more complicated.
Rays postseason or preseason? Fans struggle to tell the difference
The second MLB dropped the announcement, it didn’t just catch front offices off guard, it hit fans like a fastball to the ribs. Talk shows exploded, comment sections turned chaotic, and group chats lit up with one loud, lingering question: How is this even fair? What should’ve been a routine update suddenly felt like something bigger, a decision that didn’t just shuffle logistics, but messed with the very feel of October baseball. For fans, it wasn’t just strange, it felt wrong.
This must be a tweet about MLB The Show, the Rays ain’t going to the postseason in real life.
— DFS Olympus (@DFS_Olympus) July 15, 2025
“This must be a tweet about MLB The Show, the Rays ain’t going to the postseason in real life.” This user mocked the Rays’ legitimacy as a postseason team altogether. It’s a dig rooted in skepticism, implying that Tampa Bay’s path to October isn’t realistic without the help of a video game simulation. The jab gains weight when you consider the Rays’ middling performance this season, hovering around .500 and struggling to generate momentum.
There is a tightrope between humor and disbelief. “I will buy tickets if they make it to the World Series” isn’t a promise; it’s a dare wrapped in sarcasm. The fan knows how unlikely that scenario is. This comment felt like a direct jab to the team’s current form and MLB’s decision to greenlight Steinbrenner Field for the postseason.
“Need to start winning games again for that.” A reminder that no postseason venue matters if the Rays can’t get their act together on the field. Sitting 4th in the American League, with a 50-47 record, their consistent drop makes the team’s October dreams a hallucination. The sarcasm is sharp, but it’s rooted in truth. Before thinking about hosting the World Series at Steinbrenner Field, the Rays first need to prove they even belong in the conversation.
“No chance they make playoffs anyway, so doesn’t matter.” This isn’t just pessimism, it’s a flat-out rejection of the Rays’ relevance. For almost the last month, for every 3-game series, the Rays have lost at least 2. The only difference was the June 25-26 series with the Royals, where they could snatch a win (5-1, 3-0, 4-0). In fact, in their last series with the Red Sox, they lost all 4. So, fans think nothing matters because the Rays won’t be playing October baseball in the first place.
“Can’t wait for the ownership change, hopefully the new one spends money on his players!” It’s less about stadiums and more about a deeper, ongoing grievance. The Rays have a reputation for doing more with less. But reportedly, Stu Sternberg will sell the team by September for $1.7 billion. And that brings hope for fans. Probably, Patrick Zalupski (the expected future owner) will stop pinching pennies and start acting like a contender.
Whether the Rays capitalize on this unusual setup or not, the controversy isn’t going away. MLB may have solved a logistical problem, but it sparked a credibility one.
The post Baseball Fans Write Off Rays Amid MLB’s Alarming Postseason Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.
