CLEVELAND — Travis Kelce, the three-time Super Bowl champion and four-time All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has become a minority investor in the Cleveland Guardians, the team announced Wednesday before their game against the Washington Nationals.
The Cleveland Heights native purchased a small share of David Blitzer’s 35 percent stake in the franchise. Blitzer retains the option to become the controlling owner after the 2027 season or at a later date. Kelce, who is engaged to Taylor Swift, described the move as a way to plant permanent roots in his hometown.
“The opportunity came across my desk and I just couldn’t say no,” Kelce said on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason. “These guys (Blitzer and majority owner Paul Dolan) gave me the opportunity to show my Cleveland love and plant my roots in Cleveland forever, no matter what. It’s an awesome feeling knowing that a childhood kid that grew up on the east side is now part owner of his favorite baseball team.”
Kelce lettered in football, basketball and baseball at Cleveland Heights High School. He earned Cleveland Plain Dealer baseball player of the week honors in May 2008 after batting 14 for 22 with two home runs and 12 RBIs during one stretch of his senior season. He later played on a collegiate summer team in 2010 while attending the University of Cincinnati.
In a joint statement, Dolan and Blitzer praised the addition. “Travis Kelce knows what it takes to win at the highest levels and he’s exemplified that throughout his playing career and in the way he shows up as a community leader and businessman,” they said. “He cares deeply for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio and is committed to supporting our mission of building out a world-class organization that helps uplift the communities we serve. It’s great to welcome Travis home and we know he’ll make a lasting impact here.”
Kelce appeared on the podcast wearing a Guardians City Connect jersey and recalled attending games as a child. He and his brother named Albert Belle and Jim Thome as their favorite players growing up. “There’s so many countless memories of the 1990s and then early 2000s where it’s in me to always root for the Guards and always wanted to be a part of them from,” Kelce said. “It’s a dream come true for a Cleveland kid. Any Cleveland kid would be through the roof right now, and I’m happy to be the honorable one to get to do it for us.”
Kelce and Swift attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in Cleveland last weekend. His first official duty with the Guardians will be throwing the ceremonial first pitch on June 14 when the team hosts the Detroit Tigers. He previously attempted a first pitch at the Guardians’ 2023 home opener against the Seattle Mariners but spiked the ball near the plate.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, a longtime San Francisco 49ers fan, offered a mixed reaction. “I’m still a little bit bitter because the Chiefs beat the Niners twice in the Super Bowl,” Vogt said before the series finale against the Nationals. “But outside of that, it’s pretty cool to have Kelce on board.”
Kelce becomes the second Kansas City Chiefs player to hold an ownership stake in a Major League Baseball team. Patrick Mahomes owns a share of the Kansas City Royals and posted a video of Kelce’s earlier first-pitch attempt to congratulate him on the new investment.
The announcement adds to Kelce’s growing business portfolio while keeping him connected to Northeast Ohio, where he grew up. The Guardians, under majority owner Paul Dolan, continue to seek ways to strengthen ties with the local community through high-profile partnerships.
AP freelance writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.