Jacobs Field
Home of the Cleveland Guardians since 1994, Progressive Field is a downtown ballpark known for its intimate atmosphere and championship history.
Progressive Field is a baseball stadium in the downtown area of Cleveland, Ohio. It is the ballpark of the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball and, together with Rocket Arena, is part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex. It was ranked as MLB's best ballpark in a 2008 Sports Illustrated fan opinion poll. The ballpark opened as Jacobs Field in 1994 to replace Cleveland Stadium, which the Guardians, then known as the Indians, had shared with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. Since 2008, the facility has been named for Progressive Corporation, which purchased naming rights for $58 million over 16 years. The previous name came from team owners Richard E. and David H. Jacobs, who had acquired naming rights when the facility opened. The ballpark is still often referred to as 'The Jake' based on its original name.
Quick Facts
- Opened
- 1994 season
- Location
- Downtown Cleveland, Ohio — lakefront on Lake Erie
- Previous name
- Jacobs Field (1994–2018)
- Current name
- Progressive Field (2019–present)
- Replaced
- Cleveland Stadium (shared with the Cleveland Browns)
- Team
- Cleveland Guardians (formerly Cleveland Indians)
- Setting
- Lakefront; Lake Erie visible from the stands
Lore & Background
The ballpark and arena are funded mainly by the passage of a sin tax in 1990 and both are owned by the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland. When it opened, the listed seating capacity was 42,865 people and between 1995 and 2001 the team sold out 455 consecutive regular-season games. Modifications over the years resulted in several moderate changes to the capacity, peaking at 45,569 in 2010. As of 2025, the official seating capacity is listed at 34,820 people, making it the smallest MLB stadium by total maximum capacity, though additional fans can be accommodated through standing room areas and temporary seating.
Since moving to Progressive Field, the Guardians have won 12 Central Division titles, three American League pennants and have hosted playoff games in 13 different seasons. In the 1997 season, it became one of the few facilities in baseball history to host the MLB All-Star Game and games of the World Series in the same season. The stadium has hosted games of the World Series three times: in 1995, 1997, and 2016.
Reader's Guide
The ballpark is located in the downtown area of Cleveland, Ohio, as part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex. It opened in 1994. The official seating capacity as of 2025 is 34,820, with standing room and temporary seating available. The ballpark has hosted playoff games in 13 different seasons and three World Series (1995, 1997, 2016). Notable features include Heritage Park (installed in 2007) with plaques honoring the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame and a memorial plaque for Ray Chapman. The ballpark also had solar panels installed in 2007 and a wind turbine from Cleveland State University in 2012, though the turbine was removed in 2013 due to cracks.
Did You Know?
- The longest home run in ballpark history was hit by Jim Thome on July 3, 1999, measured at 511 feet.
- During the 2007 ALDS, a swarm of midges from Lake Erie enveloped the field, distracting Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain in the 'Bug Game'.
- The ballpark was the first new major sporting facility to open in Cleveland since Cleveland Arena opened in 1937.
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