Tampa Tarpons

The Tampa Tarpons are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Tampa, Florida. The Tarpons play their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is also the spring training home of the New York Yankees and incorporates design elements from old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, including identical field dimensions. They competed at the Class A-Advanced 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.

For the previous Tampa Tarpons, see Tampa Tarpons (1957–1988).

Tampa Tarpons
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
ClassSingle-A (2022–present)
Previous classes
LeagueFlorida State League (2022–present)
DivisionWest Division
Previous leagues
Major league affiliations
TeamNew York Yankees (1994–present)
Minor league titles
League titles (5)
  • 1994
  • 2001
  • 2004
  • 2009
  • 2010
Division titles (7)
  • 1994
  • 2001
  • 2004
  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 2016
  • 2021
Team data
NameTampa Tarpons (2018–present)
Previous names
Tampa Yankees (1994–2017)
ColorsLegends navy, Tarpon silver, Gulf blue, white[1]
       
MascotBlue
BallparkGeorge M. Steinbrenner Field (1996–present)
Previous parks
Red McEwen Field (1994–1995)
Owner(s)/
Operator(s)
New York Yankees
General managerJeremy Ventura
ManagerRachel Balkovec

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.[2]

History
See also: Baseball in the Tampa Bay area
The team is named for the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)

Tampa has a long history of amateur and organized baseball, with the first spring training held in the city in 1913 and the Tampa Smokers 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 was demolished soon thereafter. However, the expected franchise was eventually awarded to nearby St. Petersburg, leaving Tampa without a professional baseball team or venue.

In 1994, the New York Yankees established a new Class A-Advanced 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.[3] For the 2021 season, the FSL was reconfigured as a Low Single-A circuit and the Florida State League name was retired, with the circuit being called the Low-A Southeast.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

Notable major league players to once play for the Tampa Yankees / Tarpons include Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter, Rubén Rivera, Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Phil Hughes, Ramiro Mendoza, Tim Raines, Eric Milton, and Luis Sojo.

Ballpark
Main article: George M. Steinbrenner Field

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 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 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, 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, 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' home of Raymond James Stadium. The facility has an adjacent parking lot that is sufficient for most minor league crowds, and a pedestrian bridge 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.

Playoffs

Roster
Tampa Tarpons roster
Players Coaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 14 Cole Ayers
  •  9 Kris Bow
  • 26 Alex Bustamante
  •  2 Yorlin Calderon
  •  8 Ocean Gabonia
  • 19 Geoffrey Gilbert
  • 11 Shane Gray
  • 16 Sean Hermann
  •  7 Matt Keating
  • 17 Justin Lange
  • 45 Hayden Merda
  • 96 Kenlly Montas ‡
  • 30 Leonardo Pestana
  • 21 Manny Ramirez
  • 15 Brock Selvidge
  • 50 Adam Stone
  • 34 Baron Stuart

Catchers

  • 13 Omar Martinez
  • 10 Agustin Ramirez
  • 35 Jesus Rodriguez

Infielders

  • 33 Brett Barrera
  • 28 Beau Brewer
  •  1 Brenny Escanio
  • 25 Ronny Rojas
  •  5 Jared Serna

Outfielders

  • 23 Tayler Aguilar
  • 24 Daury Arias
  • 47 Christopher Familia
  • 18 Anthony Hall
  •  3 Nelson Medina
  • 29 Felix Negueis
  • 27 Jake Palmer
  •  4 Matt Pita #

Manager

Coaches

  • 55 Gerardo Casadiego (pitching coach)
  • 41 Michel Hernández (defensive coach)
  •  6 Lino Diaz (defensive coach)
  • 61 Rick Guarno (hitting coach)

60-day injured list

  • -- Jake Agnos
  • -- Brendan Beck
  •  9 Will Brian
  • -- Jose Colmenares
  • -- Yoljeldriz Diaz
  • -- Hueston Morrill
  • -- Eric Reyzelman
  • -- Nicio Rodriguez
  • -- Yarison Ruiz
  • -- Kevin Stevens
  • 36 Trystan Vrieling

7-day injured list
* On New York Yankees 40-man roster
~ Development list
# Rehab assignment
∞ Reserve list
‡ Restricted list
§ Suspended list
† Temporarily inactive list
Roster updated June 14, 2023
 Transactions
→ More rosters: MiLB • Florida State League
 → New York Yankees minor league players

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

  • Tim Raines (1996-1997) Inducted, 2017
  • Mariano Rivera (1994) 13 x MLB All-Star; 1999 World Series Most Valuable Player; All-Time MLB Saves Leader, Inducted 2019 With 100% of votes
  • Derek Jeter (1994, 2000) 14 x MLB All-Star; 1996 AL Rookie of the Year; 2000 World Series Most Valuable Player, Inducted 2020

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Splash from the past". Minor League Baseball. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  2. Norris, Josh. "Tampa Yankees Announce Name Change". Baseball America. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  3. Hill, Benjamin (December 11, 2017). "With Tarpons, Tampa throws back to the future". milb.com. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
  4. Cooper, J.J. (November 10, 2020). "Binghamton, Brooklyn Survive As Mets Announce Affiliates". Baseball America. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  5. "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  6. Anderson, R.J. (January 12, 2022). "Yankees' Rachel Balkovec introduced as first female minor-league manager: 'The negativity, it's hilarious'". CBSSports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
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