The MLB London Series will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 1:10pm and Sunday, June 9 at 10:10am (Eastern Time).
The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets continue the league’s adventures across the Atlantic Ocean to showcase baseball’s greatest rivalries.
MLB London Series
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox started the showcase in 2019 with an outrageous slugfest. The arch-rivals combined for 50 runs in a two-game sweep for the Bronx Bombers.
The showcase returned after pandemic complications with some slight branding changes in 2023. The Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals split the two-game set.
The MLB London Series has not been scheduled for 2025 yet, but there will be another in 2026.
Phillies Face Mets
The Phillies will face their National League East rivals in an unfamiliar setting with the opportunity for a memorable experience.
A league that had slipped in popularity before the past few years has the chance to showcase its product on an international stage. The series brings the opportunity for an interesting mix of cultures and a not-so common road trip to see an MLB game at a unique venue.
The MLB Ambassador to Europe is a familiar face for Phillies fans and a notorious villain of the rivalry for Mets fans. Chase Utley traveled to Citizens Bank Park in May to promote the MLB London Series.
“For those of you that are traveling to London to see them (the Phillies and Mets) compete, it’s going to be another exciting two-game series. Obviously, it’s going to be a different stadium, unfamiliar surroundings, but overall, it’s going to be a great weekend.” –Chase Utley, MLB Ambassador to Europe
Get ready for some double-decker buses, fish and chips, and British accents.
The MLB London Series will be an exciting experience for American fans making the trip, British fans with a still somewhat unfamiliar sport, and Philadelphia fans interested in rare baseball novelty games during a long regular season.
London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will host both games between the Phillies and the Mets.
West Ham United has played their Premier League home games there since 2016. Expect some creative crossover content between sports that are typically played in very different atmospheres.
The multipurpose venue will convert to a baseball field temporarily for the MLB London Series. The Yankees-Red Sox and Cubs-Cardinals series both went smoothly at the same location.
The showcase series have helped to grow baseball in a new market in London. Great Britain competed in the World Baseball Classic in 2023, a major step to legitimize the presence of the sport in British culture.
Utley spoke optimistically about the growing popularity of the game in London when he visited Citizens Bank Park to promote the international showcase.
Bryce Harper Has An Even Better Idea
Todd Zolecki joined Kevin Cooney on Philly Sports Tonight on May 20. He recounted a conversation with Bryce Harper when the superstar slugger spoke about how a round-robin tournament with other MLB teams or a long series with more at stake could make the showcase more exciting.
Zolecki added that he believes Harper and the Phillies are ultimately still excited for the new experience.
Rob Thomson spoke with the same sentiment when he talked about the group’s anticipation for the trip.
“A lot of guys are excited to go. We offered the guys that aren’t pitching in London if they wanted to stay back, and they all want to go. They’re excited. I’m glad that they are excited because it might affect your performance if everybody’s (not excited).” -Rob Thomson
The MLB London Series will draw more interest than average regular-season games. The appeal of the trip to Europe will attract additional fans, and the novelty will attract a larger television audience.
However, two games against a struggling Mets team won’t be a consequential part of the 2024 season. Harper’s idea provides an opportunity for the international series to improve in future seasons.
MLB Novelty Games
The NFL has traditionally sold its product better than the other three major professional sports leagues are even capable of.
The novelty of a 17-game regular season creates a different dynamic, and the 162-game MLB schedule doesn’t lend itself to the same type of feeling of a special event.
The Field of Dreams Game and the annual Little League Classic have added the special event feeling to baseball on a small scale. A June matchup at Rickwood Field in Alabama to honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues adds another appealing showcase.
The expansion of international series in South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Mexico City, and London also break up the monotony of 162 games.
Baseball has taken effective steps to appeal to the modern sports scene in recent seasons. The MLB London Series adds an interesting novelty.
Party In Philadelphia
The intense passion of Philadelphia fans sets the market apart from any other in professional sports. It became obvious that the passion carries to any time of the day when the Eagles traveled to London in 2018 one season after winning the Super Bowl.
Birds fans tapped their kegs for the 9:30am kickoff on the East Coast of the United States. What will the same crazy diehards do for a 10:10am first pitch on Sunday, June 9?
The Phillies are a World Series contender at the center of attention for one of the highlights of the regular season. Expect to see some Phillies fans celebrate the MLB London Series with some kegs and eggs.
