The Cleveland Guardians are a professional Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Cleveland, competing in the American League Central. Since 1994, they have played their home games at Progressive Field, and as a charter MLB franchise established in 1901, they have won two World Series championships (1920 and 1948), marking the longest active title drought in the league.
The team adopted its current name in 2022, referencing the iconic "Guardians of Traffic" sculptures on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge, replacing the Cleveland Indians moniker which had been in use for over a century, due to the Native American mascot controversy. Historically, the franchise originated as the Columbus Buckeyes in 1896 and was known as the "Naps" after team captain Nap Lajoie before becoming the "Indians." Beyond their championships, the Guardians boast 13 division titles, six American League pennants, and achieved an impressive 22-game winning streak in 2017, the longest in American League history.