Shaded Seats at Progressive Field

Progressive Field is the home of the Cleveland Guardians (formerly Cleveland Indians). The ballpark is located in downtown Cleveland just south of Lake Erie. Similar to the ballparks in Chicago, the lakeside location helps to keep Cleveland cool in the summer, but there are plenty of hot summer days at the park. Don’t worry, we’ll help you find the shaded seats at Progressive Field.

Where are the shaded seats at Progressive Field?

As a general rule, the seats in the shade at Progressive Field are located:

• Behind home plate or on the 3rd base side of the ballpark
• Farther back in one of those sections or in a row that’s under cover
• In the back half of the 500-level in a row under the roof

Progressive Field is asymmetrical, offering a little more seating along the 1st baseline and right field than the 3rd baseline and left field. However, this actually makes it a little more difficult to find seats in the shade because the 3rd baseline of Progressive Field is more likely to see shade than the other side of the stadium.

The Guardians typically begin home games at 6:10 p.m or 7:10 p.m. However, many of their Saturday home games during the season start at 4:10 p.m. Also, games on Sunday and getaway days during the week usually start at 1:10 p.m. For specific details about finding shaded seats at Progressive Field, read on.

Progressive Field Orientation to the Sun

Progressive Field is one of a handful of major league ballparks designed so that hitters face due north. That ensures that hitters are never looking directly at the sun. But it also means that the field and stands receive plenty of sunshine.

The graphic below shows the approximate location of the sun throughout the day on July 1st (halfway through the MLB season).

Click or tap here to open an interactive seating chart at Progressive Field.

Seats in Shade at Guardians Early Afternoon Games

At the start of a 1:10 game during the summer, the sun will be almost directly behind the batter. This makes it difficult to find any shade. The best chance to find protection outside of a luxury box is to sit as far back in any particular section as possible. Those seated closest to home plate in sections 152-155, 453-456, and 553-556 will have the best chance to avoid the sun if they are in one of the last rows of the section.

Of course, as the game progresses, those seated on the 3rd baseline but relatively close to home plate will have the sun at their back as it moves to the west and will be among the first people in the stadium to sneak into the shade.

Seats in Shade at Guardians Late Afternoon Games

For a 4:10 p.m. game at Progressive Field, sitting on the 3rd baseline is a must if you want protection from the sun. By game time, the sun will have moved firmly behind the 3rd base stands, so everyone seated on this side of the ballpark will have their backs to the sun. Sections 156-174, 461-474, and 561-575 should all be well-shielded from the sun.

Meanwhile, seats in right field should be avoided. Sections 303-316 and 404-418 are likely to remain in the sun throughout the game for both a 1:10 and 4:10 start time. Large portions of the stands along the 1st baseline will also be in the sun during the afternoon, and unless your seat is in one of the last rows of a section and directly beneath an overhang, avoiding the sun will be a near-impossible task.

Seats in Shade at Guardians Evening Games

Cleveland is on the far end of the Eastern Time Zone, which means during the summer the sun doesn’t set until at least 8:30 and sometimes not until after 9:00 p.m. For Guardians fans, the sun will continue to be a problem in the right field stands and deep along the 1st baseline within shouting distance of the right field foul pole. Even seats along the 1st baseline that are close to home plate will get a little sunshine during 7:10 games before the sun finally dips low enough to disappear behind the stadium.

However, most seats on the 3rd base side of Progressive Field should remain in the shade while the sun is setting, especially seats in the back rows of a particular section. Ultimately, sitting in one of the back rows of a section along the 3rd baseline is the best way to avoid the sun at Progressive Field regardless of what time the game starts.

Ready to buy shaded seats at Progressive Field?

Use the individual game links on the side (or bottom of the page on mobile) or click or tap here to see the Guardians upcoming game list. Learn about why we recommend buying MLB tickets on Seatgeek.

Enjoy the game!

Get Your Guardians Gear

Top team merch from Fanatics.com