List of Major League Baseball games played outside the United States and Canada

(Redirected from MLB World Tour)

Major League Baseball (MLB) has played multiple regular season games outside of the United States and Canada where all MLB teams are currently or historically based.[1] Beginning with the 2023 season, these games are branded as MLB World Tour.[2]

The U.S. 7th Fleet Band and U.S. Army Japan Band perform during the MLB Japan Opening Series 2008.

List of games

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Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey
Tokyo Dome
Sydney Cricket Ground
London Stadium
Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú
Gocheok Sky Dome
Locations of Major League Baseball games played outside the United States and Canada

To date, major-league regular-season games have been contested in five countries outside of the United States and Canada: Australia (Sydney), Japan (Tokyo), Mexico (Mexico City and Monterrey), South Korea (Seoul), and the United Kingdom (London).

The first MLB World Tour games (as they are now known) were contested in Mexico in 1996 and 1999. From 2000 through 2012, eight such games were contested, all in Japan. Two games were played in Australia in 2014, followed by three games in Mexico in 2018. The 2019 season saw a total of eight games played in Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Following a three year pause, Mexico and the United Kingdom each hosted a two-game series in 2023. In 2024, MLB teams played two-game series in Seoul, Mexico City, and London.

Exhibition contests, such as preseason games or postseason all-star games, are not included in the list below. Several such contests can be found in the See also section.

Season Date Designated visitor Score Designated home team Attendance Stadium City Country Ref.
1996 August 16 New York Mets 10–15 San Diego Padres 23,699 Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey Monterrey Mexico [3]
August 17 New York Mets 7–3 San Diego Padres 20,873 [4]
August 18 New York Mets 0–9 San Diego Padres 22,810 [5]
1999 April 4 Colorado Rockies 8–2 San Diego Padres 27,104 [6]
2000 March 29 Chicago Cubs 5–3 New York Mets 55,000 Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan [7]
March 30 New York Mets 5–1 Chicago Cubs 55,000 [8]
2004 March 30 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8–3 New York Yankees 55,000 [9]
March 31 New York Yankees 12–1 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 55,000 [10]
2008 March 25 Boston Red Sox 6–5 Oakland Athletics 44,628 [11]
March 26 Boston Red Sox 1–5 Oakland Athletics 44,735 [12]
2012 March 28 Seattle Mariners 3–1 Oakland Athletics 44,227 [13]
March 29 Seattle Mariners 1–4 Oakland Athletics 43,391 [14]
2014 March 22 Los Angeles Dodgers 3–1 Arizona Diamondbacks 38,266 Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney Australia [15]
March 23 Los Angeles Dodgers 7–5 Arizona Diamondbacks 38,079 [16]
2018 May 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 4–0 San Diego Padres 21,536 Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey Monterrey Mexico [17]
May 5 Los Angeles Dodgers 4–7 San Diego Padres 21,791 [18]
May 6 Los Angeles Dodgers 0–3 San Diego Padres 21,789 [19]
2019 March 20 Seattle Mariners 9–7 Oakland Athletics 45,787 Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan [20]
March 21 Seattle Mariners 5–4 (12) Oakland Athletics 46,451 [21]
April 13 St. Louis Cardinals 2–5 Cincinnati Reds 16,496 Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey Monterrey Mexico [22]
April 14 St. Louis Cardinals 9–5 Cincinnati Reds 16,793 [23]
May 4 Houston Astros 14–2 Los Angeles Angels 18,177 [24]
May 5 Houston Astros 10–4 Los Angeles Angels 17,614 [25]
June 29 New York Yankees 17–13 Boston Red Sox 59,659 London Stadium London United Kingdom [26]
June 30 New York Yankees 12–8 Boston Red Sox 59,059 [27]
2023 April 29 San Francisco Giants 11–16 San Diego Padres 19,611 Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú Mexico City Mexico [28]
April 30 San Francisco Giants 4–6 San Diego Padres 19,633 [29]
June 24 Chicago Cubs 9–1 St. Louis Cardinals 54,662 London Stadium London United Kingdom [30]
June 25 Chicago Cubs 5–7 St. Louis Cardinals 55,565 [31]
2024 March 20 Los Angeles Dodgers 5–2 San Diego Padres 15,952 Gocheok Sky Dome Seoul South Korea [32]
March 21 San Diego Padres 15–11 Los Angeles Dodgers 15,928 [33]
April 27 Houston Astros 12–4 Colorado Rockies 19,934 Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú Mexico City Mexico [34]
April 28 Houston Astros 8–2 Colorado Rockies 19,841 [35]
June 8 Philadelphia Phillies 7–2 New York Mets 53,882 London Stadium London United Kingdom [36]
June 9 New York Mets 6–5 Philadelphia Phillies 55,074 [37]
2025 March 18 Los Angeles Dodgers Chicago Cubs Tokyo Dome Tokyo Japan [38]
March 19 Los Angeles Dodgers Chicago Cubs
Notes

Canceled games

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In May 2019, MLB announced that the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals would play a two-game series in London in June 2020, to be known as the 2020 MLB London Series. Additionally, in December 2019, the league announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres would play a two-game series in Mexico City in April 2020. These would have been the first regular-season MLB games in Mexico City.[40] Both of these series were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41][42]

Games played in Puerto Rico

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Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has hosted 49 MLB games since 2001.[1] As Puerto Rico is a United States commonwealth, these games are not included in the above table.

The Montreal Expos played 43 "home" games at Estadio Hiram Bithorn during 2003 and 2004.[43]

Excluding Expos games, below is a list of neutral-site games played in Puerto Rico:

Season Date Designated visitor Score Designated home team Attendance Stadium City Country Ref
2001 April 1 Texas Rangers 1–8 Toronto Blue Jays 19,891 Estadio Hiram Bithorn San Juan Puerto Rico [44]
2010 June 28 New York Mets 3–10 Florida Marlins 18,073 [45]
June 29 New York Mets 6–7 Florida Marlins 18,373 [46]
June 30 New York Mets 6–5 Florida Marlins 19,232 [47]
2018 April 17 Cleveland Indians 6–1 Minnesota Twins 19,516 [48]
April 18 Cleveland Indians 1–2 Minnesota Twins 19,537 [49]

In August 2019, MLB announced a three-game series between the New York Mets and Miami Marlins at Estadio Hiram Bithorn to be played in April 2020.[50] This series was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41]

MLB World Tour

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As part of the collective bargaining agreement to end the 2021–22 Major League Baseball lockout, MLB announced a plan to have additional games played internationally, including regular-season games in Tokyo, Seoul, Mexico City, London, and Paris between 2023 and 2026.[51] Beginning with the 2023 season, games outside the U.S. and Canada are branded as "MLB World Tour".[2]

The MLB Mexico City Series was first contested in 2023 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú. The San Diego Padres won both games against the San Francisco Giants.[52]

In 2024, the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays played two games during spring training on March 9–10 at Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo;[53] the Red Sox won both games.[54][55] The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres opened the regular season at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, with each team winning one game. The MLB Seoul Series included the first regular season games to be played in Korea.[56][57] Also during 2024, the Houston Astros won both games against the Colorado Rockies played at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City on April 27–28, and the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies played two games at London Stadium as part of the MLB London Series on June 8–9, with each team winning one game.[58][59]

Future plans

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On July 18, 2024, MLB announced that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs would open the 2025 season at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo with games on March 18 and 19.[60] The Cubs are due to play two exhibition games in Tokyo prior to facing the Dodgers—the Cubs are scheduled to play the Hanshin Tigers on March 13 and the Yomiuri Giants on March 15.[61]

On March 24–25, 2025, the Red Sox are scheduled to conclude their spring training with two games in Monterrey, Mexico, against the Monterrey Sultanes.[62]

MLB had planned to host games at the Stade de France, just outside Paris, starting in 2025. MLB canceled its 2025 Paris series due to being unable to find a promoter for the event[63] and because of scheduling issues that made it impractical to build a field to MLB's standards at the stadium.[64] Plans to hold games during the 2025 season in Mexico City, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, which were part of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement, were abandoned in November 2024.[65]

MLB’s collective bargaining agreement includes the scheduling of games during the 2026 season in Mexico City in May, London in June, and San Juan in September.[65]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Adler, David (June 28, 2019). "Complete history of MLB games played abroad". MLB.com. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Salazar, JD (April 29, 2023). "Series Preview: SF Giants and Padres head to Mexico City". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "New York Mets at San Diego Padres Box Score, August 16, 1996". Baseball-Reference.com.
  4. ^ "New York Mets at San Diego Padres Box Score, August 17, 1996". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. ^ "New York Mets at San Diego Padres Box Score, August 18, 1996". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ "Colorado Rockies at San Diego Padres Box Score, April 4, 1999". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ "Chicago Cubs at New York Mets Box Score, March 29, 2000". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. ^ "New York Mets at Chicago Cubs Box Score, March 30, 2000". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ^ "New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Devil Rays Box Score, March 30, 2004". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. ^ "New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Devil Rays Box Score, March 31, 2004". Baseball-Reference.com.
  11. ^ "Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics Box Score, March 25, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  12. ^ "Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics Box Score, March 26, 2008". Baseball-Reference.com.
  13. ^ "Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics Box Score, March 28, 2012". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ^ "Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics Box Score, March 29, 2012". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score, March 22, 2014". Baseball-Reference.com.
  16. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks Box Score, March 23, 2014". Baseball-Reference.com.
  17. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Box Score, May 4, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  18. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Box Score, May 5, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  19. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres Box Score, May 6, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  20. ^ "Game Recap: Mariners power past A's on Opening Day (3/20/19)". YouTube.com.
  21. ^ "Mariners win Ichiro's final game in 12 innings - 3/21/19". YouTube.com.
  22. ^ "Cardinals vs. Reds - Game Summary". ESPN. April 13, 2019.
  23. ^ "Cardinals vs. Reds - Game Summary". ESPN. April 14, 2019.
  24. ^ "Astros vs. Angels - Game Summary". ESPN. May 4, 2019.
  25. ^ "Astros vs. Angels - Game Summary". ESPN. May 5, 2019.
  26. ^ "Yankees vs. Red Sox - Box Score". ESPN. June 29, 2019.
  27. ^ "Yankees vs. Red Sox - Box Score". ESPN. June 30, 2019.
  28. ^ "Giants 11, Padres 16 Final Score (04/29/2023) on MLB Gameday". Major League Baseball. April 30, 2023.
  29. ^ "Padres rally in 8th to sweep Mexico City Series". May 1, 2023.
  30. ^ Bastian, Jordan (June 24, 2023). "Cubs turn London Series opener into jolly old romp". MLB.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  31. ^ Denton, John (June 25, 2023). "Cardinals rally to take London Series finale". MLB.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  32. ^ Toribio, Juan (March 20, 2024). "Dodgers come alive late, stun Padres in Seoul opener". MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  33. ^ Park, Do-Hyoung (March 21, 2024). "Machado's homer caps slugfest as Padres split Seoul Series". MLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  34. ^ McTaggart, Brian (April 27, 2024). "Yordan's pair of 461-foot homers help power Mexico City rout". MLB.com. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  35. ^ Harding, Thomas (April 28, 2024). "Rockies squander Gomber's 'efficient' outing in Mexico City finale". MLB.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  36. ^ Zolecki, Todd (June 8, 2024). "'Iconic,' 'euphoric': Harper takes London by storm in opener". MLB.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  37. ^ DiComo, Anthony (June 9, 2024). "RARE double play caps wild finish to London Series". MLB.com. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  38. ^ "Dodgers, Cubs to stage star-studded showdown in Tokyo to begin 2025 season". MLB.com.
  39. ^ Johns, Greg (March 21, 2019). "Ichiro retires after emotional finale in Tokyo". MLB.com. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  40. ^ "MLB D-backs Padres play in Mexico City in 2020". MLB.com. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  41. ^ a b Adams, Steve (March 19, 2020). "MLB Cancels Planned Series In Mexico City And Puerto Rico". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  42. ^ "MLB cancels Cubs-Cardinals London series in June". ESPN.com. April 1, 2020. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  43. ^ "Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, PR". Retrosheet. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  44. ^ "Texas Rangers at Toronto Blue Jays Box Score, April 1, 2001". Baseball-Reference.com.
  45. ^ "New York Mets at Florida Marlins Box Score, June 28, 2010". Baseball-Reference.com.
  46. ^ "New York Mets at Florida Marlins Box Score, June 29, 2010". Baseball-Reference.com.
  47. ^ "New York Mets at Florida Marlins Box Score, June 30, 2010". Baseball-Reference.com.
  48. ^ "Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins Box Score, April 17, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  49. ^ "Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins Box Score, April 18, 2018". Baseball-Reference.com.
  50. ^ Mcpherson, Jordan. "The Miami Marlins will play three games in Puerto Rico during the 2020 season". Miami Herald.
  51. ^ Harris, Declan (March 16, 2022). "When Will Baseball Fans See International Games Again?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  52. ^ Wagner, James (May 1, 2023). "Passionate Baseball Fans and (Very) Thin Air Let Mexico City Shine". The New York Times. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  53. ^ "2024 MLB World Tour: Dominican Republic Series". MLB.com. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  54. ^ Speier, Alex (March 9, 2024). "Saturday's spring training report: Red Sox shut out Rays in opener in Dominican Republic". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  55. ^ Speier, Alex (March 10, 2024). "Sunday's spring training report: Red Sox finish two-game sweep of Rays in Dominican Republic". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  56. ^ "Dodgers-Padres to open 2024 season in Seoul". ESPN. Associated Press. July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  57. ^ Boeck, Scott; Yomtov, Jesse (March 21, 2024). "Dodgers vs. Padres highlights: San Diego wins wild one, Yamamoto struggles in MLB Korea finale". USA Today. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  58. ^ "MLB Unveils 2024 Schedule Packed With Marquee Matchups". MLB.com. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  59. ^ "MLB releases 2024 schedule; all 30 teams play March 28". ESPN. Associated Press. July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  60. ^ Clair, Michael (July 19, 2024). "Dodgers, Cubs to stage star-studded showdown in Tokyo to begin 2025 season". MLB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  61. ^ Yellon, Al (December 2024). "The Cubs will play two exhibition games in Japan before they face the Dodgers". SB Nation. Retrieved December 11, 2024 – via MSN.com.
  62. ^ Abraham, Peter (December 11, 2024). "Red Sox to close spring training with two games in Monterrey, Mexico". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  63. ^ Blum, Ronald (November 16, 2023). "MLB cancels 2025 Paris games after failing to find promoter, AP sources say". AP NEWS. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  64. ^ Adler, David (November 23, 2023). "Tickets for London Series featuring Phillies-Mets on sale now". MLB.com. Retrieved June 12, 2024. MLB's plans to play in Paris in 2025 have been scratched due to scheduling issues with Stade de France; the venue was not able to provide the necessary time needed to build a Major League-quality baseball field.
  65. ^ a b Blum, Ronald (November 20, 2024). "MLB scraps plans to play regular-season games next year in Mexico City and San Juan, Puerto Rico". The Boston Globe. AP. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
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