The Cleveland Guardians’ home ballpark, now known as Progressive Field, opened in 1994, ushering in one of the most successful eras in franchise history. Over the following five seasons, the team, then known as the Indians, made it to the World Series twice, another ALCS, and appeared in two more AL Division Series.
Known as Jacobs Field, it debuted with a record-breaking streak of 455 consecutive sellouts, which lasted into the 2001 season. Since changing its name in 2008, the stadium has seen eight more seasons of playoff baseball, including an appearance in the 2016 World Series.
It is an impressive run for any ballpark, especially when you consider the usually dismal results that preceded it when the baseball team shared Cleveland Stadium with the NFL Browns. But now, it might be time for a change.
Bleacher Report analyst Zachary D. Rymer said he believes the Guardians could be the next team seeking a big stadium upgrade, following the Athletics’ upcoming move to Las Vegas and a potential new venue for the recently sold Los Angeles Angels.
“The Guardians have already gone the renovations route with Progressive Field, unveiling new improvements in 2024 and 2025. Those have helped modernize a ballpark that started as retro and was beginning to feel more like just plain old. Yet since Progressive Field is MLB’s 10th-oldest stadium, the relative oldness is still a thing. Maybe it won’t happen soon, but the Guardians belong on list of teams to eye for a new stadium after the A’s, Rays, Royals, White Sox and Angels get theirs,” Rymer wrote.
Only two new MLB stadiums have opened in the past two decades: Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves, in 2017, and Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, in 2020. That was after 23 stadiums opened between 1989 and 2012, a span that included Cleveland, which was between the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards in 1992 and Coors Field of the expansion Colorado Rockies in 1995.
Based on the success the franchise has had in its current home, the Guardians might want to carefully consider looking for a new one.
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