This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch¡¯s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
TAMPA, Fla. -- As Gerrit Cole wandered the hallways of the Yankees¡¯ remodeled spring facility this month, one word came to mind: ¡°Unbelievable.¡± It looked and felt like one of the luxury hotels the team might visit during the season, with nods to the franchise¡¯s rich history and tradition incorporated throughout.
¡°They¡¯ve done a fantastic job,¡± Cole said. ¡°I like how they¡¯ve kept the nostalgia of the old stadium, too, because I¡¯m kind of a sucker for that.¡±
As the 2025 Yankees go through the paces of their first full-squad workout on Monday, they¡¯ll also experience George M. Steinbrenner Field¡¯s refreshed amenities as a group. The Yankees¡¯ spring home since 1996, Steinbrenner Field has undergone a significant facelift in the last two years.
The blueprints considered input from manager Aaron Boone and players like Cole and captain Aaron Judge, according to Matt Ferry, the Yankees¡¯ director of baseball operations. Ferry said Judge¡¯s concerns mostly focused on improvements to the batting cage area.
¡°This is all player-driven,¡± Ferry said. ¡°Players want to train at quality facilities, and we ultimately want them to be at their best. To do that, we allow them to have the best training facilities on the planet, and to be best in class in terms of a Major League facility. Hopefully, they reap the benefits of these new spaces.¡±
Gone are the segmented and windowless training facilities, replaced by an open floor plan that places the indoor workout area, outdoor stretching area and recovery/medical/training areas adjacent to each other. The old training room has been transformed into a multi-purpose space for team meetings and press conferences.
When players require treatment, they now visit an ultra-modern therapy area that features eight training tables, plunge pools and a SwimEx, as well as a sauna and red-light therapy area. Multi-story floor-to-ceiling windows feed sunshine into a two-story weight room, with weight training on the ground floor and an elevated loft for cardio.
¡°Being able to see Field 2 and the [Raymond James] football stadium, it¡¯s a really nice reminder of why we¡¯re here and what we¡¯re trying to do,¡± Ferry said. ¡°The natural sunlight is what most of the staff has been raving about. It brightens your day and allows you to do things each day with a little pep in your step.¡±
Hungry? There¡¯s a made-to-order kitchen solely dedicated to player nutrition, where healthy meals can be enjoyed indoors or under palm trees on the 2,400-square-foot patio adjacent to a practice field. Players can also enjoy an expansive lounge, which includes multiple televisions and arcade games.
¡°Everything¡¯s new; the space is great,¡± Cole said. ¡°There¡¯s a ton of natural light, high ceilings, good privacy. I think the flow is great from the training room to the locker room, just seeing players kind of migrate through. It makes things more efficient. The Rays will enjoy this, I can tell you that.¡±
Yes, the Yankees are not the only ones who will get to experience these behind-the-scenes perks. When Spring Training concludes in late March, the Yankees will turn Steinbrenner Field¡¯s keys over to the Rays, who will play 81 home games there with Tropicana Field out of commission due to hurricane damage.
The Rays will have full and exclusive use of the home clubhouse. That includes a couple of series with the Yankees as the road team (April 17-20, Aug. 19-20), when the Yankees will dress in the visitors¡¯ clubhouse and be limited to other temporary areas constructed along the third-base side.
¡°It will be weird for us to be on the visiting side in our own facility, but ultimately, it was the right thing to do,¡± Ferry said. ¡°That¡¯s what our owner, Hal Steinbrenner, has said. The Rays needed a place to play, and being so close to St. Petersburg, hopefully most folks are in the same places they live. They won¡¯t have to move or rearrange too much, and they can still have their Major League season.¡±
As a result of the Rays¡¯ needs, the visiting clubhouse has also been improved to MLB standards. Additions also continue to be made to Field 2, where the Single-A Tampa Tarpons will play home games during the 2025 season. Those changes include the addition of massive permanent light stanchions and baseball operations technology.
¡°This was the best possible outcome for us,¡± said Erik Neander, the Rays¡¯ president of baseball operations. ¡°The opportunity to stay in the area, as has been discussed, was a priority. [We are] really grateful to the Yankees for opening their doors and letting us do this. This was truly the best option, all things considered. I think for our players -- talk to our left-handed hitters, they¡¯re really excited, probably most excited. But the amenities, everything that¡¯s going to go [on] underneath, is world class.¡±