by Major League Baseball’s spring training facilities on Florida’s west coast appear to have largely escaped major damage during Hurricane Milton.
Unlike two years ago, when Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage and shut down the Tampa Bay Rays’ spring home in Port Charlotte, no teams have reported Milton causing serious problems that could affect operations this winter.
The Rays continue to assess the situation at their training complex and stadium in Port Charlotte, as well as at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, where Milton tore apart the roof of the domed stadium that has been their regular-season home since the franchise’s inception in 1998.
Repairing damage from Hurricane Ian cost more than $17 million and forced the Rays to split their practices and spring training games in 2023 between Disney World near Orlando and St. Petersburg.
The Port Charlotte complex, which includes Charlotte Sports Park, reopened last winter in time for spring training.
The Atlanta Braves, who practice in the Venice, Fla., area, were still assessing the situation there Friday.
The Boston Red Sox reported that JetBlue Park in Fort Myers suffered minimal wind and water damage and did not experience any power outages at the stadium during the storm.
The team said Lee County will station 2,000 emergency responders at the ballpark over the next two weeks to support cleanup efforts in and around Fort Myers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates train in Bradenton, south of St. Petersburg. At LECOM Park, some of the outfield wall padding was torn off and a batter’s eye was destroyed at Pirates City, where practice sessions are held.
“While we appreciate the curiosity, this pales in comparison to what others are experiencing in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” said Brian Warecki, the Pirates’ senior vice president of communications and broadcasting. “We continue to work with the Bradenton area’s first responders … and stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
At the New York Yankees complex in Tampa, damage was limited to downed posts and fences. 75 families used the complex as shelter during the storm.
The Philadelphia Phillies reported no major damage in Clearwater, but did cause several inches of water in the lower section of BayCare Ballpark. The team is working with the city to repair damage from wind and flooding. The complex was still without power Friday and there was no information on when normal operations would resume.
On Florida’s east coast, an initial report from Port St. Lucie – which was heavily hit by tornadoes before Milton’s arrival – indicated that there was no significant damage to the New York Mets’ spring home. The team said officials were still assessing the situation.
