Baseball's London Series scheduled for 2026 is axed; Rob Manfred discusses potential UK baseball prospects
The much-anticipated 2026 MLB London Series has been called off, leaving fans across Europe disappointed. This decision comes after a series of hit-and-miss expansions under MLB's rebranded 'World Tour' since its launch in 2023.
The New York Yankees were set to face the Toronto Blue Jays in a highly anticipated two-game series over the weekend of June 13 and 14. However, scheduling conflicts and logistical challenges have led to the cancellation of this exciting event.
The cancellation is particularly disappointing as it follows the collapse of plans for a two-game series in Paris in 2025. Games have been staged outside of the United States since 1996, with Mexico, Japan, and Australia getting a slice of the action before Major League Baseball finally made its way across the pond to London in 2019.
Rob Thomson, the manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, had hoped that the London Series would become a permanent fixture of the MLB calendar. The Phillies played a series in London in 2024, and the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals had opened the European chapter in 2023.
The existing agreement for baseball in the UK ends in 2026, but the commissioner, Rob Manfred, insists that the London Series is still in their thoughts going forward. Manfred also mentioned that MLB is working on expanding into the Indian market due to their affinity for cricket.
However, the collapse of the 2025 and 2026 London Series has halted the momentum gained by MLB in London. Manfred stated that MLB remains committed to staging games in Mexico, Japan, and South Korea.
The cancellation is due to scheduling conflicts with West Ham United and their London Stadium, as well as complications surrounding next summer's FIFA World Cup. There were concerns that fans in New York and Toronto wouldn't make the trip over to London, given there are World Cup games being held in their cities throughout the tournament.
It is unlikely that the Toronto Blue Jays will play against the New York Yankees in London in 2026. West Ham's London Stadium hosting a Premier League final on May 24 leaves insufficient time to convert the field for baseball, and the TV broadcaster Fox has commitments to the men's World Cup that prevent rescheduling the games later in June.
The process of converting the London Stadium from soccer to a baseball field is time-consuming, taking 18 days last year and 21 days for the inaugural event in 2019.
Despite the setback, the UK baseball fandom grew significantly after the MLB games were introduced, with fan groups created and games being screened nationwide. The hope is that this passion for the sport will continue to grow, and we will see baseball back in Europe in the future.
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