As we reflect on the past year today, it came to mind that, despite not winning a championship for the 15th consecutive year, there are a lot of things to be grateful for this year.
Obviously, the sting of not even leading or winning the division or conference is still there, and the team played sloppily over the course of 162-plus games, so they weren’t necessarily “deserving” of being World Champions. The fans of the Bronx Bombers expect a lot of their favorite team, something implemented by late owner George Steinbrenner, and the Yankees didn’t exactly return the favor this year. However, there was a lot of discourse on social media after current owner Hal Steinbrenner’s comments about potentially not turning a profit on a multi-billion dollar organization.
Just read the comments on this tweet to understand how fans felt about that statement:
Another user on Twitter went into extreme detail and gave a good explainer about this topic:
But, is it really all about a price to performance ratio? If you look at the Rays, who were somewhat closely trailing the Yankees for much of the latter portion of the season (until the very end), their highest paid player, Yandy Diaz, will make $12 million next year, with Brandon Lowe making $11.5 million. All others will make around or under $5 million. Compare that to the Yankees having 10 players making over $10 million in 2026, with Aaron Judge at the top making $40 million. In short, the Rays have 1/4 of the payroll the Yankees have, and while they finished under .500, they have a competitive farm system that the Yankees don’t really have anymore.
The Rays under Sternberg ownership were not very serious about competing in the best division in baseball, and with the prospects of the necessity of building a new stadium and other external factors, it’s yet to be determined how the new ownership team will handle the organization. Still, while Rays fans have A LOT to be grateful for this year versus last year (no hurricanes this year is atop that list!), I would much rather be a fan of the Yankees that were 6 wins away from a 100-win season versus a team that finished 77-85.
With all of the salary deferrals that the Dodgers have, it may seem difficult to compete with them. They’re only spending $27,854,528 more than the Yankees, currently, at $240,412,861. After projected arbitration via Spotrac, they’re only a few thousand dollars away from each other. $124,528, to be exact. Assuming the Yankees secure either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, they can easily match or best the Dodgers’ payroll.
Yankees fans should be grateful to have an owner that will spend that kind of money. It may be easy to forget how much these players make when they’re on the field and are people just like we mere mortals are. Further, as Steinbrenner mentioned during his Zoom presser with the media, they spend a lot on player development and other things that make the team operate. Whether you think that money is being spent well is another discussion entirely.
Let’s compare player development to the Toronto Blue Jays considering how they recently built a totally new Player Development Complex in Dunedin, FL. First, we need to consider how much their owner, Rogers Communications, is worth. That company is the Canadian equivalent of AT&T in the States, and has a value of $21 billion USD. Compare that to the approximate $4-5 billion of the Steinbrenners and you can see where things start to fall apart. Regardless, the Blue Jays have a gorgeous new facility that was opened for the 2021 season.
The Yankees’ facility in Tampa, FL was last renovated in 2012, but has all of the core things a complex needs: a weight/exercise room, a dining room, a classroom for Hispanic players to learn English and how things are done in the states, and a number of fields, bullpens and batting cages, just like what the Jays have across the Bay.
However, with the facility in Dunedin being a bit newer, they have implemented new things across the complex as more data comes out on the different ways to train. For example, if you watch the video below starting at 9:25, you can see a hill that emerges from the back of one of the covered mock fields.
The amount of fields the Blue Jays have on property is mind-boggling to comprehend. As an example, to enter one of the sets of backfields, fans and family enter through the public works department’s parking lot, pass through a gate to encounter a hidden small parking lot that provides a wide sidewalk that bisects two bullpens that lead to a four-field complex mostly used for Spring Training. Hopefully, with the new naming deal with BayCare Health System (the complex is now known as the “BayCare Player Development Center and Scouting Complex”), the Yankees will refurbish, or possibly rebuild, their PD complex.
That said, in collaboration with Hillsborough County spending $17.9 million, the Steinbrenners will spend $22 million to upgrade various aspects of Steinbrenner Field, including:
- Security cameras
- Video distribution/ballpark TVs
- Networking to host WiFi & data throughout the entire ballpark
- $4.5 million for a larger scoreboard
- Bowl sound system
- Parking lot repaving
- Concourse traffic coating
- Magnetometers
- Extended concourse concessions & portables
- Stadium wall padding
- Seat replacements
- Fan facing & interior building WiFi
- Dugout safety renovation
- Interior finishes & furniture
- A/C unit replacements in suites and press box
- Lighting on Steinbrenner Drive
- Stadium entry plaza renovation
- Community field turf and irrigation renovation
- Landscape renovation
- Shared structure over main concourse
- Cabana covers
- First and third base rooftop covers
- Loge shade structures
- Community pavilion refresh
This is all coming after a number of other upgrades to GMS Field, including the major refurbishment to the home clubhouse prior to the 2025 season and the refurbishment to Field 2 where the Tarpons held their home games last season.
There aren’t a lot of owners or ownership groups willing to invest that kind of money into a stadium truly only used for two months out of the year, then partially used during the Minor League season (April to September). Combine all of these upgrades with the money spent on payroll, plus the quality of the content coming out of the social media team and everything else that goes into gameday operations, and the Yankees are easily putting out the most premium product within the sport, and that’s something for fans to be grateful for.
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