Apparently, the NFL isn’t the only league making deals abroad. Major League Baseball has announced a long-term partnership with the city of London and will play regular-season games there in 2023, 2024 and 2026, as well as other events. It’s all part of the plan to broaden the reach of the Great American Pastime.
Home Run Derby X, in fact, will be played in London on July 9. MLB has an entire landing page devoted to the event, even including historical information on the game in England.
The last time MLB ventured across the pond was 2019, when the Red Sox and the Yankees took part in the MLB London Series. The two games at London Stadium that each drew nearly 60,000 fans. (A game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals had been scheduled for the following season; however, it was cancelled by the pandemic).
But it wasn’t just COVID that sidelined games. The Giants and the Marlins had been scheduled to play in Mexico City in 2022; however, the lockout played havoc with scheduling. The teams haven’t given up hope, though, as was noted in NBC Sports:
“On a Giants Talk Podcast, team president and CEO Larry Baer said the club hopes to make an international trip as soon as next season. The new CBA calls for games in Mexico City the next four years and Baer said he's "pretty confident” the Giants will be in one or more of those years. “We really anticipate being involved and we are very disappointed that the Mexico City (trip) was taken off the boards," Baer added. "It was nobody's fault; it was just because of the condensed season and putting 162 games into fewer days. International travel just became too difficult, and we totally understand that, but we're pushing hard to be right back in 2023 either in Mexico City -- if the schedule works -- or somewhere internationally."
Teams for the London game have not yet been announced but officials are optimistic about the future of the sport there, based on the experience in 2019.
“All aspects of the inaugural MLB games in London were an overwhelming success,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “It was clear that sports fans in London had a great appetite for baseball and that passion was shared by [London mayor Sadiq Khan] as well as the business and media community. We are confident in making a long-term commitment to London and are looking forward to returning to the city with more MLB games, special fan events, and other opportunities to play and watch the game.”
According to Sports Illustrated, Manfred and Khan announced an MLB London Legacy Group that will include members from the Greater London Authority and Baseball Softball UK.
MLB is working hard to raise the profile of the sport worldwide. While there has been no definitive word of which teams will play in London, CBS Sports says the Dodgers are in talks to play games in Paris in 2025. (As part of the new collective bargaining agreement MLB and the MLBPA agreed to play more games internationally). In addition to London and Paris, MLB is also planning to play games in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Paris and the Dominican Republic would be new destinations. (Back in 2019, MLB had identified India as another potential market for expansion; however, nothing has been scheduled there).
Games in Paris would come after the 2024 Olympics, where baseball and softball will not feature, as neither sport has a strong following there.
Obviously, MLB wants to change that.
An international draft is being considered; however, it is likely no decision will be made on that until July.
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