First inside look at Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton is downright apocalyptic

One of the most shocking images to come out of Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton that struck the state in mid-October was the damage that Tropicana Field, the home ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays, incurred during the storm.

To put it as simply as possible, the entirety of the roof of the stadium was ostensibly torn off with the high sustained winds and storm that came through with Hurricane Milton. The result was the top of the dome being left in tatters and drone shots showing the ballpark instead of the roof as a result of the damages.

It's already been announced that the Rays will be unable to play their home games at Tropicana Field in the 2025 season as a result of the damage. And on Wednesday, we saw even more reason as to why.

We got one of the first looks inside the stadium and seeing the damage and aftermath from the stands really puts into perspective how bad it was for the Rays ballpark. If we're being honest, it also feels like something right out of a post-apocalyptic movie.

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Tropicana Field looks unrecognizable after Hurricane Milton damage

Seeing shards and threads of the domed roof just lying on the infield and in the seats is truly an eerie image to see and not at all what you're thinking you'd see when looking inside an MLB ballpark. Perhaps even more shocking is seeing parts of the poles and catwalks bent and fallen hanging down from the infamous catwalks at Tropicana Field.

It's a frightening and surreal scene.

As mentioned, the Rays have already confirmed that they will be unable to play at the Trop in the 2025 season as repairs are made to the stadium. More importantly, where they will play their home games is also still in question.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that he would like to have the Rays play as close to the Tampa area as possible next year, though a venue has not been confirmed. Some have floated the idea of playing at Walt Disney World's Wide World of Sports complex, while other ballparks further away from Tampa have also been mentioned.

From the images and video, though, it's clear that it will be some time before Tropicana Field is usable again for professional baseball. And we continue to send our thoughts to those in Florida affected by Hurricane Milton.