Every year, MLB attempts to broaden its appeal to a more global audience. This has led to games being held in Japan, Mexico, Australia and the United Kingdom over the years.
This year, pro baseball will return to Mexico, where baseball is a very popular sport, particularly in the northern provinces. In fact, Mexico was the site of the very first international game the league ever held.
In August 1996, the New York Mets squared off against the San Diego Padres at the Estadio de Beisbol in Monterrey, Mexico. Each game drew around 20,000 fans, and was a resounding success by all accounts.
“#OTD in 1996, the #Padres defeated the Mets in the first regular-season game played in Mexico in #MLB history. San Diego won, 15-10, at Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey.” – @ Padres on this day
Monterrey is a city in the north of Mexico with a strong history and culture of baseball. It is the largest city in the northern states of Mexico, an area that has produced a wealth of baseball talent.
For this reason, the league decided to schedule a few more series in Monterrey in 2019. The Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds were all involved.
“History will be made! For the first time MLB will play a regular season series in Mexico City. See you in April 2023.” – @ MLB
The league has decided to return to Mexico in 2023, scheduling a two-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres for April 29th and 30th. This will mark the debut of the Giants in Mexico, whereas the Padres have played there before. The games will be played in the nation’s capital, Mexico City, rather than in Monterrey.
MLB hopes to expand international interest through international games
In addition to the 2023 Mexico Series, the league will also be putting on another series in London in June. There can be no doubt that holding games abroad, especially in pro-baseball markets, is an excellent way for fans to get involved all across the world, and the league knows it.
Just before the global pandemic hit, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played a two-game series in front of a crowd of more than 50,000 at the London Stadium in 2019. This further bolstered interest in baseball on the other side of the Atlantic .
After a very successful flurry of games in Japan between 2000 and 2012, the league decided that playing a number of games in an international setting was a great idea.
With MLB a huge hit globally, we expect to see more games played internationally in the near future.
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