Major League Baseball is returning to London in 2024, with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies playing a two-game series next summer.
The Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are in town this weekend (June 24/25) for a pair of games at the London Stadium, and MLB has already announced that the league will be back in less than 12 months. The Mets and Phillies will contest a two-game series at the same Stratford venue over the 8th and 9th of June, 2024.
It will be the first time the capital has hosted MLB games in consecutive years and only the third time overall. The inaugural London Series saw the Boston Red Sox face the New York Yankees.
That 2019 series was the first time the league played games in Europe. Australia, Mexico and Japan have also hosted overseas series.
The Mets have previously played in Monterrey, Mexico; Tokyo, Japan plus San Juan in Puerto Rico. Contrastingly, the Phillies have never previously played outside of the United States and will now contest the first Battle of the Broads outside of America in 2024.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says bringing rivalries overseas is intentional and something the league strives to do. "We think our game is at its best when we have traditional rivals playing, and we want to show the fans here in London the very best form of baseball," Manfred said.
"To us, London is a really important part of our international strategy. We have seen great growth in baseball since we were here in 2019.
"The number of people in Britain that identify as fans has doubled since 2019." Manfred added: "We're going to make this part of our regular program and looking forward to be back next year."
The respective ownership groups involved have also shared their excitement at the prospect. Mets majority owner Steve Cohen said: “Alex [Cohen, a Mets co-owner and Steve's wife] and I are thrilled the Mets will play in the MLB 2024 London Series.”
“Interest in baseball is growing all over the world and to bring the Mets ‘never-say-die’ attitude to sports fans in London is a tremendous honour," Cohen continued. "Our Queens family is ready to show London a great time with exciting baseball and amazing experiences that create new fans and build the Mets community throughout the United Kingdom.”
Phillies managing partner and principal owner John Middleton added: “It is an honour to be selected for the 2024 London Series.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our players’ talents to a new audience. It is also a great chance to play in front of the large contingent of Phillies fans who reside in the UK.”
As part of the MLB World Tour, 2025 will see a series played for the first time in Paris, France. The London Series will return in 2026, following a year off.
Order the official 100-page programme for St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs for big-name interviews, quirky features, stats and a scorecard. Available now from https://reachsportshop.com/special_edition/mlb-official-programme/
