The international Major League Baseball (MLB) series is right around the corner. The season will start on March 20th, though the Opening Day, which features all the teams in the league, will be on March 28th in Seoul, Korea.
This is the first time the MLB would take place in Korea and the ninth season to start outside the U.S. or Canada overall, with the last one in 2014 when it was the Dodgers vs. D-Backs in Sydney, Australia. Mexico, Japan, and Puerto Rico had also been selected to start the season on previous occasions since the first international series took place in 1999.
The two first games in Seoul will be on March 20 and 21. The teams that will play in the season opener are the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. However, they aren’t the only teams that will be playing outside of America.
The MLB also announced other dates and countries where the season will develop, such as Mexico City, where the Astros and the Colorado Rockies will dispute for a victory on April 27 and 28, the Mets vs. the Phillies in London, and lastly, the Red Sox and the Rays that are going to play a spring training in the Dominican Republic. Still, the 94th All-Star Game will be in Arlington, Texas, in the middle of July.
International MLB Tour Is Expanding
Rob Manfred, the Commissioner of the MLB, talked about their excitement for taking the league international in 2024. Manfred added, “Our recent efforts have produced strong enthusiasm around the globe, and we look forward to building on that foundation with returns to Mexico City and London while also opening the season in Korea for the first time.”
Last year, the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals played in London, marking the second MLB played in Europe in the league’s history, while the 2023 game in Mexico was Padres vs. Giants. Both matches were an international success, so the MLB brought the sport to the countries in the 2024 series.
Meanwhile, the executive director of the MLB Players Association, Tony Clark, talked on behalf of the players, saying that “[The players] have a deep interest in growing baseball around the world. No matter where they come from, players are linked by a passion for our game that transcends different languages, cultures, and nationalities.”
Clark added, “The series announced today will allow fans around the globe to gain a first-hand appreciation for the unmatched skill and infectious enthusiasm players display every time they go to work. We are excited to expand our international presence in new communities and celebrate the game we all love.”
The international regular-season games are part of an expanding project the MLB planned to get the sport throughout all the continents with expectations from 2023 to 2026. The league plans to host up to 24 regular-season games internationally and 16 exhibitions outside of America.
LatAm Loves Baseball
The games in Mexico City have become a regular success in Latin America. Both the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies will return to the neighboring country for the first time since 2019. This is an opportunity for Mexican baseball fans to watch the best players in MLB from Colorado, according to ClutchBet list. Though they played in Monterrey that season, the games will be held in the capital this year.
The Rockies had also traveled to Mexico in 2001 to Sinaloa against the San Diego Padres and earlier in 1999 to Monterrey, where the Opening Game took place that season.
Millions of fans are thrilled to see the Astros vs. the Rockies games at the Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, so when the tickets went on sale in early December, they sold out in a few hours.
Greg Feasel, the Colorado Rockies’ president and COO, said, “The Rockies organization is incredibly excited to return to Mexico for the fourth time in franchise history. From Vinny Castilla to Jorge De La Rosa, we have witnessed firsthand the tremendous talent of Mexican players, as well as the passion and enthusiasm Mexican fans have for baseball.”
Vinny Castilla made history while playing for the Rockies, as he had 320 career home runs, the most all-time for a Mexican player. Castilla became a Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame member and occasionally appeared in the league’s games, like last year’s edition in Mexico.
The Rockies also count on outfielders Kris Bryant and Nolan Jones. Bryant signed with the club in 2022, though he missed most of his first season in Colorado; he was MVP in 2016 while playing for the Chicago Cubs.
As for Jones, he joined the team in late 2022 after debuting his professional career with the Cleveland Guardians that year. He got 4th place in the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year in his first season in Colorado.