London’s position as a leading international sports city has been strengthened after a new long-term partnership was agreed with Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been confirmed that regular-season MLB matches will return to the UK capital in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
The first MLB London Series match to be played in the UK was in 2019 when the Boston Red Sox took on the New York Yankees in two games at the London Stadium. More than 60,000 fans were in attendance in both games.
As well as the upcoming regular-season matches, London’s Crystal Palace Park will also host the MLB Home Run Derby X on 9 July 2022. The competition will feature four historic franchises: the Red Sox, Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. According to MLB, each team will include a former player (Legend), a softball or women’s baseball star (Superstar), a player from that region’s local development system (Rookie), and an influential content creator (Wild Card). Seoul and Mexico City will also host Home Run Derby events.
When announcing the long-term partnership between the league and the city, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said: “All aspects of the inaugural MLB games in London were an overwhelming success. It was clear that sports fans in London had a great appetite for baseball. 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.”
London mayor Sadiq Khan added: “This long-term partnership with Major League Baseball is ambitious and includes regular-season games as well as a legacy program designed to grow the number of Londoners watching and playing baseball at a grassroots level in London.”
Main image: MLB Communications/Twitter