Seeing all these shots of hopeful fans in the brilliant Cleveland sunshine, it’s worth noting that this franchise has now reached the playoffs in eight of the last 13 seasons – and for the first time in that stretch, the team has reached 2 million fans in consecutive years. The Guardians drew 2,051,360 fans this year (almost exactly the same as in 2024), a solid figure that reflects the overall trend in MLB, which drew 71.4 million fans in 2025, the most in eight years.
The Guardians just continue to make smart moves. Look at Kyle Manzardo, who got Cleveland’s first hit today. He came from the Rays at the 2023 deadline for Aaron Civale. At the time, Civale had a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts. Since then, Civale’s ERA has been twice that – 4.67 – as he’s spun through Tampa Bay, Milwaukee, and both Chicago teams. Manzardo, meanwhile, hit 27 homers and drove in 70 for the Guardians, second only to centerpiece Jose Ramirez in those categories.
The Guardians know when to sell high, and that’s a big reason why they keep giving their fans postseason baseball.