SABR 54
July 29-August 2, 2026
Hilton Cleveland Downtown Hotel
100 Lakeside Ave E
Cleveland, OH 44114
Join us in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer for SABR’s 54th annual convention on July 29–August 2, 2026, at the Hilton Downtown Cleveland hotel! Conference and hotel registration for SABR 54 is available below. Click here for complete details on SABR 54 registration and optional sessions.
- Click here for the full convention schedule, including featured panels, research presentations, and committee meetings.
The annual SABR convention, which is open to all baseball fans, includes top featured speakers from around the baseball world — front office executives, players, managers, scouts, journalists, historians, and analysts — innovative panel discussions, groundbreaking research presentations, ballgames, the SABR Trivia Contest, and most of all, the opportunity to make and renew baseball friendships over the course of this exciting and memorable event.
Featured Speakers
SABR 54 will feature a Major League speaker lineup we know you’ll love, alongside an invigorated social experience emphasizing SABR’s ability to unite all of us in baseball fellowship. Here are our featured speakers and panelists:
Welcome Remarks
- Chris Antonetti, Cleveland Guardians President of Baseball Operations
Fireside Chat
- Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City
- Moderator: Stephanie Liscio, author of Integrating Cleveland Baseball: Media Activism, the Integration of the Indians, and the Demise of the Negro League Buckeyes
1990s Cleveland Indians Panel
- Sandy Alomar Jr., 1990 American League Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove-winning catcher, and 1997 All-Star Game MVP
- Carlos Baerga, fan favorite as a switch-hitting second baseman during his 14-year major league career
- Mike Hargrove, who won two AL pennants and 5 consecutive AL Central Division titles as Cleveland’s manager from 1991 to 1999
- Kenny Lofton, all-around star center fielder who holds Cleveland franchise record for stolen bases
- Charles Nagy, three-time All-Star pitcher and Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame inductee
- Moderator: Paul Hoynes, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports writer and BBWAA Career Excellence Award recipient
One on One: Tom Hamilton
- Tom Hamilton, Cleveland Guardians broadcaster and 2025 Ford C. Frick Award recipient
- Moderator: John McMurray, chair of SABR’s Oral History Committee
Cleveland Guardians Baseball Analytics Panel
- Sky Andrecheck, Assistant General Manager, Cleveland Guardians
- Keith Woolner, Principal Data Scientist, Baseball Analytics, Cleveland Guardians
- Kyle Burris, Director, Research & Development, Cleveland Guardians
- Moderator: Zack Meisel, The Athletic
60th Anniversary of the MLB Players Association Panel
- Mark Armour, award-winning author and baseball historian
- Ezra Frankel, Director of Baseball Economics, MLB Players Association
- Mike Haupert, Professor of Economics, University of Wisconsin at La Crosse
- Dan Levitt, award-winning author and baseball historian
- Moderator: Katie Krall, SABR Director and professor at Northwestern University
Major League film screening and Q&A
- David S. Ward, Academy Award-winning writer and director of Major League
- Moderator: Jonathan Knight, author of The Making of Major League: A Juuuust a Bit Inside Look at the Classic Baseball Comedy
Learning the Score: Bats, Balls, and Rock ‘n’ Roll
- Billy Altman, founding curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and a Major League Baseball official scorer
Along with a fantastic speaking lineup, here are more highlights to look forward to at SABR 54:
- Cleveland Guardians vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game on Friday, July 31, featuring a pregame buffet for SABR members that will give attendees a great opportunity to socialize and network.
- Exciting optional programming including a bus tour of historic Cleveland baseball sites, featuring a stop at League Park (former home of the Indians and Buckeyes amongst numerous others) where you’ll be able to play catch on the same grounds where Babe Ruth hit his 500th home run.
- Upgraded Welcome Reception featuring great food, drink, and SABR award presentations.
- Expanded Closing Ceremonies featuring our famous Trivia Contest, which will again include the popular “Immaculate Feud” segment and expanded opportunities for participation.
- Social gatherings, including a coffee talk on Thursday morning and an Open House at the Cleveland Public Library, to help first-timers and veterans alike make the most of their convention and SABR experience.
- A fantastic hotel property at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, conveniently located within walking distance of Progressive Field and other downtown attractions like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Whether you’re attending your first SABR convention or returning as a longtime regular, this is a great year to be part of the experience. Newcomers will find plenty of opportunities to connect and build baseball friendships, while veteran attendees can look forward to a richly layered event. It promises to be an unforgettable week of baseball fellowship in “The Land,” and we hope you’ll join us!
Click on a link below for more information about SABR 54.
- Registration: Click here for complete information on SABR 54 registration and optional sessions. Or click here to register for SABR 54! Registration includes access to all panel discussions, research presentations, and committee meetings at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, plus the Welcome Reception on Wednesday, Coffee Talk on Thursday, and Closing Ceremonies on Saturday. Please note all registrations are a la carte and attendees will need to select tickets for all optional events or merchandise they would like when they register. Please note: ALL registrations are a la carte in 2026. Attendees will need to select tickets for all optional events or merchandise they would like when they register.
- SABR members: $325 regular rate
- Non-members: $375 regular rate
- Single-day rate: $140 per day for SABR members; $170 for non-members
- SABR members: $325 regular rate
- Optional Events: SABR 54 attendees have the option of purchasing tickets for the following optional events:
- Cleveland Baseball History bus tour (Thursday, July 30): This tour is now SOLD OUT! If you would like to be added to the wait list in case a seat opens up, please email events@sabr.org. Join us on the afternoon of Thursday, July 30 for a behind-the-scenes bus tour of Cleveland baseball’s history. The tour will include roundtrip bus transportation to: League Park, featuring on-field access, a visit to the Baseball Heritage Museum, and “Baseball Art as the Game’s Storyteller” art exhibit; Rocky Colavito statue with a guided talk from author Joe Gazzo; Ray Chapman gravesite at Lake View Cemetery with a guided talk from author Scott Longert. The buses for the tour will depart from the hotel at 3:15 p.m. Thursday and return to the hotel at approximately 6:00 p.m. Cost: $40.
- Guardians vs. Diamondbacks game (Friday, July 31): SABR’s block of game tickets is now SOLD OUT! Attendees at SABR 54 will have a special opportunity to visit Progressive Field for the Cleveland Guardians game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the evening of Friday, July 31. SABR 54 attendees will gather in the Paul Davis Pennant District for an all-you-can-eat pregame buffet menu. Note: Tickets in the Upper Box Outfield seating option are adjacent to the pregame buffet space in the Paul Davis Pennant District. Tickets in the Lower Box seating option are NOT adjacent to the pregame buffet space. Attendees selecting the Lower Box option will enjoy the buffet in the Paul Davis Pennant District with the full SABR group before moving to their seats for the game. Only attendees who purchase tickets in the SABR block will be able to enter the Paul Davis Pennant District. SABR has reserved two blocks of tickets:
- Upper Box Outfield game ticket: $80 (includes pregame buffet)
- Lower Box—Right Field Line game ticket: $90 (includes pregame buffet)
- Upper Box Outfield game ticket: $80 (includes pregame buffet)
- Hotel: The special SABR group rate at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown of $235/night plus tax (single/double occupancy) is only available to registered convention attendees. Please note: The cut-off date to book your room at the SABR group rate was July 8, 2026. After you register for the SABR 54 convention, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with details on how to book your hotel room at the SABR group rate.
- Schedule: Click here for the full convention schedule.
- Featured Speakers: Click here to learn more about speakers and panelists.
- Research Presentations: Click here for the full list of research presentations.
- Poster Presentations: Click here for the full list of poster presentations.
- Committee Meetings: Click here for the schedule of research committee meetings.
- Transportation Tips/Area Attractions: Click here to learn more about getting to and around Cleveland.
We hope to see you this summer in Cleveland!
All guests must adhere to SABR’s Event Code of Conduct at all times. We are dedicated to maintaining an open, inclusive environment at all SABR events.
- SABR Convention History: Click here for a multimedia look back at every SABR convention since 1971.