Cleveland to Use 'Guardians' as Team Name in 2022

Cleveland's MLB team will adopt a new moniker entering the 2022 season.

Cleveland announced Friday it will change its team name to the Guardians beginning in 2022.

The franchise's name change comes after months of deliberation regarding a potential new nickname. Cleveland's baseball team has used the moniker "Indians" since 1915, though it did discontinue the use of the Chief Wahoo logo in 2019.

“We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advocate social justice and equality," Cleveland's statement read in July. "Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community.”

Numerous potential team names were taken under consideration following Cleveland's name-change announcement in December 2020. The Spiders was a popular potential choice and one that harkened back to the original Cleveland baseball franchise in the 1890s. Guardians ultimately won out as Cleveland forges a new path for the organization in 2022. 

Cleveland Indians are now the Cleveland Guardians, the club announced. pic.twitter.com/dwbwpMkJfh

— Mark J. Burns (@markjburns88) July 23, 2021

Cleveland has reached the postseason in four of the last five years, including a World Series appearance in 2016. Terry Francona's club enters Friday night sitting No. 2 in the AL Central at 48–46.

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