Guardians Attendance Sees Dramatic Increase From Last Season

The Cleveland Guardians and Progressive Field saw a 41.5 percent increase in ticket sales from 2022.

© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday night marked the final home game of the 2023 season for the Cleveland Guardians. This team was coming off an ALDS appearance in 2022 so there was plenty of hype and fan interest surrounding the team coming into this year.

I don't think anyone could have predicted the attendance increase that Progressive Field saw in 2023. Cleveland sold 1,834,068 tickets this season which is a 41.5 percent increase from last year. 

So much for baseball dying and no one caring about the sport.

There are a couple of reasons why the Guardians saw such a big increase in ticket sales this season and it starts with giving fans a reason to come to the stadium. 

It's easy to get fans excited when you were the youngest team in baseball and still made a nice playoff run a season before. There were high expectations put on the Guardians dating back to Spring Training and the Cleveland faithful wanted to see that playoff out in person. 

Progressive Field also did a nice job of incentivizing fans to come down to the park by putting together a phenomenal promotional schedule and implementing a monthly ticket pass.

Another reason for the increase could have to do with the rule changes. MLB implemented new regulations to speed up the game such as the pitch clock, limiting disengagements by pitchers, and bigger bases. Of course, these got off to a rocky start but once the players got used to them the outcome has truly been better to watch.

Aug 7, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Hot dog mascots run between innings of a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

We also can't discredit the factor weather plays in attendance. Last season was full of rainouts, postponements, and doubleheaders which made it difficult for fans to get games. 

We may never know if there was a single reason as to what caused this uptick in bodies in seats. It's probably a combination of everything already listed and more. 

Whatever it is, let's hope it produces the same amount of excitement for 2024.