Blas & Cats: SI pro baseball is back!

Play ball!

Mayor de Blasio announced a deal Friday to reopen the shuttered Staten Island Yankees stadium with a new professional baseball team next year.

The waterfront Richmond County Bank Ballpark will be the home of a new team in the independent Atlantic League, which currently has eight clubs from the eastern US, including the Long Island Ducks. Major League Baseball recently acquired a franchise in the local league.

As The Post first reported, local elected officials and community members will be involved in naming the new team backed by a group of local investors including supermarket mogul John Catsimatidis and Merrill Lynch alum Dany Garcia.

“This is one of the most exciting ventures I have ever been a part of,” said Catsimatidis. “We will bring family entertainment back to the people of Staten Island, boost the local economy and see our team conquer the Atlantic League.”

The stadium will get upgrades ahead of the 2022 season including synthetic turf, seating and concourse upgrades. The ballpark is owned by the city and will be leased to the investment group.