Blue Jays unveil completed Phase 1 of Rogers Centre renovations ahead of home opener

Toronto Blue Jays fans can expect new ways to experience a baseball game live this season, after the first phase of renovations at Rogers Centre were unveiled Thursday.

The new features were revealed following a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, along with Rogers chairman Edward Rogers and CEO Tony Staffieri. The Blue Jays are currently on a 10-game road trip to start their season, due to the ballpark renovations.

"We'll try to create experiences for every type of fan, not just one type of fan. We're going to get our fans closer to our players, probably closer to the visiting players than they want, but that's OK," said Shapiro ahead of the ceremony.

"We're going to allow them to connect with each other and with our fans in ways they never have before ... an opportunity to modernize fan experience."

WATCH | ​Inside Rogers Centre's new fan zones:

All 500-level seats have been replaced largely to make room for open social spaces, including the family-oriented Park Social over left field, a colourful and childlike area designed to replicate sitting in one of the city's many parks. Another notable new feature in the 500s is the Corona Rooftop Patio, a spacious social area which will allow fans to take in Toronto's impressive skyline and have a drink while watching a game.

THE place to be this summer ☀️<br><br>Check out the Corona Rooftop Patio! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NextLevel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NextLevel</a> <a href="https://t.co/MD6ZayhUXb">pic.twitter.com/MD6ZayhUXb</a>

Lower down, the stadium's outfield walls and bullpens have been raised, meaning relief pitchers will be warming up within metres of fans. The Catch Bar in the 100 level hangs right