Andrew McCutchen: Yankees' Tropicana Field Struggles Stem From 'Cloud Over Their Head'
The former MVP noted that the mental aspect of playing at Tropicana Field was a significant factor for his 2018 Yankees teammates.
Andrew McCutchen, who played for the New York Yankees in 2018, believes the team's struggles at Tropicana Field go beyond on-field performance, attributing them to a mental block he described as a "cloud over their head."
During an appearance on MLB Network, McCutchen recalled conversations with his Yankees teammates about their difficulties playing against the Tampa Bay Rays in their home ballpark. "When I came over, we went to [Tropicana Field] and I remember them all talking about how they just can’t beat the Rays in Tampa," McCutchen stated. "That was always the thing that they talked about."
In 2018, the Yankees, who finished with the American League's second-best record, had a challenging time at Tropicana Field. Before McCutchen's acquisition in August, the team had a 1-5 record there. Although they won three of four games in their second-to-last regular-season series in Tampa Bay, McCutchen noted that the underlying sentiment persisted.
"We ended up winning…but that’s not the thing they think about, I know that," the 2013 National League MVP said. "That’s the cloud over their head."
The current Yankees team is also facing challenges at Tropicana Field. In the 2026 regular season, they lost five out of seven games at the venue. This trend has continued into the American League Division Series (ALDS), where the Yankees lost the first two games to the Rays.
Game 1 of the ALDS saw the Yankees manage only one hit, an eighth-inning double by Austin Wells, which was negated by an unsuccessful attempt to stretch it into a triple. Game 2 resulted in a 5-1 loss for the Yankees, marked by errors and an anemic offense, despite a strong pitching performance from Cam Schlittler and two home runs from Ben Rice.
As the series shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3, New York faces the task of winning three consecutive games to advance. McCutchen expressed optimism for his former team, suggesting that their home-field advantage at Yankee Stadium could be a turning point.
"Going back to New York, they’re going to have a lot of fun. They know being at home, in their home stadium, they’re going to bring it, those fans are gonna be loud," McCutchen said. "I see them going and doing really well for those next two games."
Despite the ongoing struggles and the absence of Aaron Judge, McCutchen believes the Yankees can overcome their deficit, particularly with the support of their home crowd.