Mets and Phillies Set to Meet in 2024 London Series
MLB and the players' union announced that the two NL East rivals will play a two-game series at London Stadium on June 8-9, 2024.
By Luis Fernandez ·
The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies will cross the Atlantic next year for a pair of games in London. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced the matchup for the 2024 London Series on Friday, naming the two National League East rivals as the participants.
The two-game set is scheduled for June 8-9 at London Stadium. It will be the third time the venue has staged an MLB rivalry series. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played the first one in 2019, and the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are due to play two games there this weekend.
Mets owner and CEO Steve Cohen said in a statement that he and Alex were thrilled with the selection. "Interest in baseball is growing all over the world and to bring the Mets 'never-say-die' attitude to sports fans in London is a tremendous honor," he said. He added that the club's "Queens family" intends to give London a good time with exciting baseball and experiences meant to win new fans and build the Mets community across the United Kingdom.
The series fits into a wider league push to take the game beyond the United States and Canada. Under the MLB World Tour plan, up to 24 regular-season games and up to 16 exhibition games will be played in Asia, Mexico, Latin America and Europe through 2026.
London will be the Mets' third international stop. The club played the San Diego Padres in Monterrey, Mexico, in 1996, faced the Cubs in Japan in 2000, and met the Florida Marlins in a three-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a decade later. For the Phillies, the London games will be a first appearance in an international series.
Phillies owner John Middleton said in a statement released by the league that Major League Baseball has done an excellent job expanding its international footprint, and that the team is honored to take part. He described the trip as a chance to showcase his players' talents and to highlight the excitement of a Phillies-Mets matchup for fans in the UK, including those who have never attended a baseball game.
The announcement came just ahead of a weekend series between the two clubs in Philadelphia. They begin their second three-game set of the season on Friday at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets swept the Phillies at Citi Field late last month.
Originally published by News Media House · Source: The Denver Post
