How the Yankees prepared for quirks of Tropicana Field on eve of ALDS

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees’ workout Friday, on the eve of the ALDS, was targeted. 

Several Yankees hovered around home plate as Austin Wells rolled a few balls down both foul lines. Brett Weber, the team’s senior director of advance scouting, studied how and in which direction the balls rolled, along with how they interacted with the lip of the turf.

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Afterward, Weber stood at shortstop and infield coach Dan Fiorito at second with bats, taking turns cracking mostly one-or two-hoppers at Wells, mimicking a relay play to help the catcher judge how springy the artificial turf plays. 

The Yankees then rolled a machine out behind the plate to fire high fly balls and pop-ups, giving the club a chance to begin figuring out how best to pick out a white baseball against a white fabric backdrop. 

After dozens of reps, the group shifted to infield and pitcher-fielding practice, simulating game situations and testing how fast the ball would get to fielders on the synthetic turf. 

Yes, the Yankees routinely play at Tropicana Field, the home of a division rival that hosted seven of the head-to-head matchups this season. But only two of those were Yankees victories, and Aaron Boone’s bunch has never played a postseason game at The Trop, whose trap doors and booby traps could help decide which AL East power moves on to the ALCS. 

It is a field that the Rays — baseball’s best team at making contact and most prolific team at bunting, the American League leader in steals and the unofficial regular-season champions in what manager Kevin Cash called “creating some havoc for defenses and pitchers” — clearly have embraced, posting the majors’ best home record at 55-26. 

“I know online I always get to see about someone’s complaining about the catwalk, someone’s complaining about the roof, someone’s complaining about something or another,” Rays Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen said. “Obviously, we’ve adapted to it very well.” 

“It’s a different field for sure,” José Caballero, a Ray in 2024 and ’25, said with a smile. 

Caballero said he has advised some teammates about what to expect. Neither George Lombard Jr. nor Spencer Jones, who both figure to be in Saturday’s Game 1 lineup, has played a game in the majors’ most peculiar domed ballpark. 

The ball moves faster on the ground, Caballero said, which is a difference that fielders can adjust to. The bigger adjustment in The Trop, Caballero added, is finding fly balls and preparing for the unknown that often comes at this ballpark. 

“It’s really tough to see, with the roof being the same color as the ball,” said Caballero, who has told teammates they need to track balls hit high even if they are not in the vicinity. “… It could hit the catwalk and kick any direction. 

“Even if the initial hit was not hit in your direction, you still have to pay attention to the ball.” 

It does not help that the Rays — athletic, fast and experienced on their home turf on defense — are also pests on offense, striking out 18.8 percent of the time to lead the majors. 

They will do whatever they can to pressure the Yankees, who did their best Friday to prepare for whatever Game 1 brings. 

“They put the ball in play. They can run. They push the envelope,” Boone said. “You’ve got to take care of the ball against them.”