Upcoming Tampa Bay Rays dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Rays in brief: a small-market club that keeps reaching October
For the 2026 season, the Tampa Bay Rays play home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, back under the repaired dome after spending 2025 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The regular season runs from late March or early April through late September.
The franchise began play in 1998 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and finished last in the American League East in every season of its first decade except 2004. The rebrand to the Rays for 2008, with a name meant to evoke both the manta ray and rays of sunshine, coincided with a turnaround: that team won the division and the pennant before losing the World Series to Philadelphia. The Rays won the AL East again in 2010, 2020 and 2021 and reached a second World Series in 2020, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The club has retired 12 for Hall of Famer Wade Boggs and 66 for longtime coach Don Zimmer. The mascot is Raymond. The main rivals are the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees within the division, plus the in-state Miami Marlins.
Where the Rays play in 2026: Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton
On October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton tore away much of Tropicana Field's translucent fiberglass roof. The Rays played their entire 2025 home schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the Yankees' spring training park, which seats about 11,000. Roof repairs began in July 2025 and finished in spring 2026, and the Rays returned to Tropicana Field for their home opener on April 6, 2026, beating the Chicago Cubs 6–4 (as reported by Wikipedia's ballpark articles, accessed October 2026).
Tropicana Field opened in 1990 as the Florida Suncoast Dome. It has a fixed, non-retractable roof: a tilted dome that keeps out Florida rain and sun, so every game is played indoors on artificial turf. Wikipedia lists capacity at 25,025, a figure set after the upper deck was closed and tarped before the 2019 season.
The long-term home is still changing. The team's ownership group, which took over in September 2025, has pursued a new ballpark near Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus in Tampa, and Wikipedia reports Tampa City Council approval in August 2026. The original Tropicana Field lease ran through 2027. Treat any future-season venue details as unsettled and check the Rays ballpark page for the current plan.
Choosing a Rays seat: lower box, the 200 level and the upper deck
Because the dome removes sun and rain from the equation, seat choice at the Trop is about distance, angle and the catwalks.
Lower level infield
The 100-level sections between the dugouts are the premium choice, topped by the Home Plate Club behind the plate. Ballparks of Baseball lists the first-base dugout as the Rays' side; check the team's seating map before paying extra for it. Mid-rows of the lower box give a better angle over the dugouts and netting than the first few rows.
The 200 level
The middle tier is a smaller ring of seats between the lower box and the upper deck. Front rows behind the infield are a sensible step down in price from the field level, while the far corners of this level angle away from home plate and are harder to justify.
The open upper rows
With the top of the upper deck tarped, the 300-level seats still sold are the low rows. Ballpark Savvy notes that the first several rows sit below the concourse, so fewer people walk across your view. This is the strongest value in the building.
Outfield and the catwalks
The outfield seats are closest to home-run balls and to the cownose ray touch tank behind the right-center field wall. Fans in high outfield rows see more of the four catwalk rings that circle the ceiling. The catwalks are part of the ground rules: the lowest ring is in play, while a ball striking the two outer rings is a home run. That makes high fly balls an occasional surprise worth watching.
The Rays calendar and the games that draw the biggest crowds
The Rays hold spring training at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, as they have since 2009, with Grapefruit League games in late February and March. The 162-game season runs from late March or early April through late September, and qualifying teams play in October.
- Red Sox and Yankees series are the biggest draws of the year and bring large numbers of visiting fans.
- Weekend games carry more demand than weeknights, since much of the market crosses the bay from Tampa or drives in from the suburbs.
- Marlins series bring in-state interest.
- Opening Day and postseason games fill the building in a way regular dates rarely do.
With a reduced capacity, midweek games against out-of-division opponents are the easiest seats to find, and resale listings for those dates tend to fall as first pitch approaches.
Getting to the Trop, parking and entry
Tropicana Field sits at One Tropicana Drive, just west of downtown St. Petersburg. The SunRunner bus rapid transit line and several PSTA bus routes serve the area, which helps fans staying near the downtown waterfront or the beaches. Fans driving from Tampa should allow time for the bridges across Old Tampa Bay on weeknights.
The stadium lots surround the building. Guides have long advised buying parking in advance rather than arriving to pay at the gate; confirm current lot options and payment rules on the Rays' site before game day.
Bag, mobile-ticket and gate-time rules can change, especially after a season away from the building. Check the team's current A–Z guide before you go. Every GoodSeats order is backed by a 100% guarantee.
Following the Rays on the road
The Rays' road schedule leans on the AL East, so most trips are to Boston, New York, Baltimore and Toronto. Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium are the bucket-list visits, and in-state Miami is the easiest drive for Rays fans who want a road game without flying. Spring training in Port Charlotte, south of St. Petersburg on the Gulf Coast, is the closest look most fans get at the club each year.
Rays history in a few dates
- 1990: The Florida Suncoast Dome opens in St. Petersburg, years before the franchise exists.
- 1998: The Devil Rays play their first season.
- 2008: The renamed Rays win their first division title and AL pennant, and Tropicana Field hosts the World Series.
- 2020: A second pennant and World Series appearance.
- 2024: Hurricane Milton damages the roof in October.
- 2025: A full season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and a change in ownership.
- 2026: The return to the repaired Tropicana Field on April 6.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the Tampa Bay Rays play in 2026?
At Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The Rays returned on April 6, 2026, after a season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa while the hurricane-damaged roof was repaired.
Does Tropicana Field have a roof?
Yes. It has a fixed, tilted dome, so games are played indoors and are not rained out. The roof was repaired after Hurricane Milton and reopened for the 2026 season.
What happens if a ball hits the catwalks at Tropicana Field?
It depends on the ring. The lowest catwalk ring is in play, while a ball that strikes either of the two outer rings is ruled a home run.
What are the best value seats at Tropicana Field?
The low rows of the upper level behind the infield offer a full view for less, and the first rows sit below the concourse so foot traffic stays out of your sightline.
Why did the Rays play in Tampa in 2025?
Hurricane Milton tore much of Tropicana Field's roof on October 9, 2024, so the Rays played the full 2025 home schedule at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Where do the Rays hold spring training?
At Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, their spring home since 2009.