Guardians Announce Start Time For 2024 Home Opener

The Cleveland Guardians will play their 2024 home opener against the Chicago White Sox at 5:10 pm.

MLB revealed all of the start times for the 2024 games a few weeks ago. Well, almost all of them. The Cleveland Guardians home opener on April 8 was left blank and they had a good reason for doing so.

A once-in-a-lifetime event will occur on the shores of Lake Erie that afternoon. There will be a total solar eclipse and Cleveland will be one of the top spots around the world to see it. Needless to say, it may be a little difficult to play a baseball game while everyone's attention turns toward the sky.

The Guardians have finally announced that the first pitch for the home opener will take place a 5:10 pm EST. However, the gates will open at 2:00 pm which is just over an hour before the eclipse will peak at around 3:13 pm.

Just imagine all of the amazing pictures we could get of the moon blocking out the sun over a packed Progressive Field. 

Apr 7, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; F-14 fighter jets fly over Progressive Field during the national anthem before the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Seattle Mariners. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

With the time now being official, fans can also purchase tickets to the 2024 opener starting on February, 16 (216 Day) at 10:00 am. This includes single tickets for all home games. 

However, those planning to go to the home opener should keep in mind that the team's press release did mention that the city is expecting significant traffic on that day so plan accordingly.

No matter what happens during the actual game, this home opener will be remembered for a long time.