The Tampa Tarpons are a

Minor League Baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...

team of the

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

and the

Single-A Single-A, formerly known as Class A and sometimes as Low-A, is the fourth-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A, Double-A (baseball), Double-A, and High-A. There are 30 teams cl ...

affiliate of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

. They are located in

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is also the

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

home of the New York Yankees and incorporates design elements from

old Yankee Stadium The original Yankee Stadium was located in the Bronx in New York City. It was the home of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008, except for 1974–1975 when it was renovated. It hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-yea ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, including identical field dimensions. They competed at the

Class A-Advanced High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...

level from 1994 to 2020 before being reclassified Low Single-A in 2021. Since their inception, the club has won five league championships, in 1994, 2001, 2004, 2009, and 2010. The club was established in 1994 as the Tampa Yankees and played for 24 seasons under that name. Before the 2018 season, the team was rebranded as the "Tampa Tarpons", reviving a name that had been used by an earlier franchise in the FSL for over 30 years.

History

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

has a long history of amateur and organized baseball, with the first

held in the city in 1913 and the

Tampa Smokers The Tampa Smokers was a name used between 1919 and 1954 by a series of minor league baseball, minor league baseball teams based in Tampa, Florida. The nickname was a nod to the History of Ybor City, local cigar industry, which was the most impor ...

founded as charter members of the FSL in 1919. In anticipation of a potential Major League Baseball expansion team, the original Tampa Tarpons of the FSL relocated in 1988 and

Al Lopez Field Al López Field was a spring training and Minor League baseball ballpark in West Tampa, Tampa, Florida, United States. It was named for Al López, the first Tampa native to play Major League Baseball (MLB), manage an MLB team, and be enshrined i ...

was demolished soon thereafter. However, the expected franchise was eventually awarded to nearby

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, leaving Tampa without a professional baseball team or venue. In 1994, the

established a new

FSL team and placed them in Tampa, replacing their previous Class-A Advanced affiliate, the Prince William Cannons. After operating as the Tampa Yankees for 24 seasons, the club was rebranded as the Tarpons in 2018, reviving the name of Tampa's longest-lasting minor league ballclub. For the 2021 season, the FSL was reconfigured as a Low-A circuit, and the Florida State League name was retired, with the circuit being called the Low-A Southeast. In 2022, the Low-A Southeast became known as the Florida State League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit. On January 9, 2022, the Yankees announced that Rachel Balkovec has been hired to manage the Tarpons. She is the first woman to manage a minor league team affiliated with Major League Baseball. Notable major league players to once play for the Tampa Yankees / Tarpons include

Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP ...

Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974), nicknamed "the Captain", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) caree ...

, Rubén Rivera,

Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...

, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, Ramiro Mendoza,

Tim Raines Timothy Raines Sr. (born September 16, 1959), nicknamed "Rock",Raines received this nickname at an Expo rookie camp when he was seventeen, based on his physique. is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played as a left ...

, Eric Milton, and Luis Sojo.

Ballpark

As part of a deal with the city of Tampa, the Tampa Sports Authority agreed to publicly finance a new ballpark for the New York Yankees to use during spring training and the Tampa Yankees to use during the summer. Legends Field has the same dimensions as

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...

and includes some design elements of the previous ballpark in the Bronx. The Tampa Yankees played their first two seasons (1994 and 1995) at Red McEwen Field on the campus of the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

while their permanent home was under construction. In 1996, the New York Yankees held spring training at newly completed Legends Field, moving from their long-time spring facilities at

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...

, and the Tampa Yankees played at the new ballpark that summer. In 2008, Legends Field was renamed in honor of ailing long-time Yankees owner

George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...

, who lived in Tampa. Steinbrenner Field has a baseball capacity of about 11,000 and is located across Dale Mabry Highway from the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

' home of

Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Tampa, Florida, United States. It opened in 1998 and is home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of South Florida (USF) Bulls college football ...

. The facility has an adjacent parking lot that is sufficient for most minor league crowds, and a

pedestrian bridge A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...

allows for spring training attendees to park at the football stadium's much larger parking area and safely cross the busy highway to Steinbrenner Field. In 2025, the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...

will play at Steinbrenner Field as a result of hurricane damage to

Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (nicknamed "The Trop") is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. "The Trop" was the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1998 Tampa Bay Devil Rays season, 1998 to ...

. As a result, the Tarpons will play their home games at Community Field at GMS Field, a smaller practice field located next to Steinbrenner Field. Community Field has a capacity of 1,000.

Playoffs

*2017: Lost to

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

2–1 in semifinals. *2016: Lost to

Bradenton Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the Sarasota metropolitan area. Dow ...

3–1 in the FSL finals. *2010: Defeated

2–0 in semifinals; defeated Charlotte 3–1 to win championship. *2009: Defeated

Brevard County Brevard County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county se ...

2–0 in semifinals; defeated Charlotte 3–2 to win championship. *2004: Defeated

2–0 in semifinals; declared co-champions with Daytona. *2002: Lost to Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals. *2001: Defeated Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals; declared co-champions with

. *1998: Defeated Charlotte 2–0 in semifinals; lost to St. Lucie 3–2 in finals. *1996: Lost to Clearwater 2–0 in semifinals. *1995: Lost to

Fort Myers A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

2–1 in semifinals. *1994: Defeated

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Ba ...

2–1 in semifinals; defeated

3–1 to win championship.

Roster

Notable people

Note: ''Years indicate service time with the Tampa Yankees / Tarpons, either as a minor leaguer or on an injury rehabilitation assignment'' Hall of Fame alumni *

(1996–1997) Inducted, 2017 *

(1994) 13 x MLB All-Star; 1999 World Series Most Valuable Player; All-Time MLB Saves Leader, Inducted 2019 With 100% of votes *

(1994, 2000) 14 x MLB All-Star; 1996 AL Rookie of the Year; 2000 World Series Most Valuable Player, Inducted 2020 Notable alumni * John Axford (2007) 2011 NL Saves Leader * Andrew Bailey (2015) 2 x MLB All-Star; 2009 AL Rookie of the Year *

Carlos Beltrán Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San F ...

(2015) 9 x MLB All-Star; 1999 AL Rookie of the Year * Dellin Betances (2010) 4 x MLB All-Star *

Melky Cabrera Melky Cabrera Astacio (born August 11, 1984), nicknamed "the Melkman", is a Dominican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blu ...

(2004) MLB All-Star * Robinson Cano (2003) 8 x MLB All-Star * Francisco Cervelli (2007–2008, 2011, 2014) * Joba Chamberlain (2007, 2012) *

Tyler Clippard Tyler Lee Clippard (born February 14, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chi ...

(2005) 2 x MLB All-Star * Mike DeJean (1994) *

Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...

(2015) MLB All-Star *

Didi Gregorius Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius (born February 18, 1990) is a Curaçao, Curaçaoan-Netherlands, Dutch professional baseball shortstop for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Basebal ...

(2017, 2019) *

Matt Holliday Matthew Thomas Holliday (born January 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2004 to 2018 for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York ...

(2017) 7 x MLB All-Star; 2007 NLCS Most Valuable Player * Phil Hughes (2005–2006) MLB All-Star * Nick Johnson (1998) *

(2014) 2 x MLB All-Star; 2017 AL Rookie of the Year * Ian Kennedy (2007–2008) 2011 NL Wins Leader *

Ted Lilly Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III (born January 4, 1976) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Lilly attended Yosemite High School in Oakhurst, California, and Fresno City College. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1999 t ...

(2000) 2 x MLB All-Star *

Adam Lind Adam Alan Lind (born July 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals ...

(2018) *

Mike Lowell Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006& ...

(1996) 4 x MLB All-Star; 2007 World Series Most Valuable Player * Lee Mazzilli (1997–1998, MGR) MLB All-Star * Eric Milton (1997) MLB All-Star * Dioner Navarro (2002) MLB All-Star * Ivan Nova (2008, 2015) *

Carl Pavano Carl Anthony Pavano (born January 8, 1976) is an American former professional baseball player. A Right-handedness, right-handed pitcher, Pavano played in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2012 for the Montreal Expos, Miami Marlins, Florida Marl ...

(2005–2006) MLB All-Star * Mark Prior (2011) MLB All-Star * Juan Rivera (1999–2000, 2005) * David Robertson (2007) MLB All-Star * Brendan Ryan (2014–2015) *

CC Sabathia Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, and New York Yankees. Sabathia batted and th ...

(2014, 2019) 6 x MLB All-Star; 2007 AL Cy Young *

Gary Sanchez Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name Places ;Iran * Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;United States *Gary (Tampa), Florida *Gary, Ind ...

(2012–2013) 2 x MLB All-Star * Luis Severino (2014, 2016, 2021) 2 x MLB All-Star * Luis Sojo (2006–2008, 2009, 2011–2013, MGR) *

Giancarlo Stanton Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton (born November 8, 1989), formerly known as Mike Stanton, is an American professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in ML ...

(2019) 4 x MLB All-Star; 2017 NL Most Valuable Player * Marcus Thames (1999) *

Gleyber Torres Gleyber David Torres Castro (born December 13, 1996) is a Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees. Torres made his MLB debut ...

(2016, 2018) 2 x MLB All-Star *

Troy Tulowitzki Troy Trevor Tulowitzki (born October 10, 1984), nicknamed "Tulo", is an American professional baseball coach and former shortstop who played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Colorado Rockies. He also played for the T ...

(2019) 5 x MLB All-Star

References

External links

Official website
{{Florida Sports Sports clubs and teams in Tampa, Florida Professional baseball teams in Florida Baseball teams established in 1994 New York Yankees minor league affiliates 1994 establishments in Florida Florida State League teams