How MLB is expanding reach beyond North America as baseball goes global

By Lee Seng Foo 6 hours ago

In recent years, Major League Baseball (MLB) has conducted the MLB World Tour to expand its global reach, taking regular-season games to territories far beyond its traditional North American base.

These international series have introduced MLB teams to new audiences, offered historic match-ups at unexpected stadiums and helped build baseball’s presence around the world. At the rate it’s going, don’t be surprised if we see an official MLB game taking place in Southeast Asia, such as the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Indonesia or the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium in the Philippines someday.

Ahead of the 2026 season, which you can watch LIVE on SPOTV NOW, here’s a look at the most significant overseas MLB events.

Mexico Series (1996, 1999, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024)

Monterrey and Mexico City have hosted some of MLB’s most explosive international games. One of the most memorable came in 2023, when the Padres and Giants combined for 11 home runs in a 16-11 San Diego win. The series returns to Mexico City this coming season, with the Diamondbacks taking on the Padres.

London Series (2019, 2023, 2024)

For a city and a country known more for football (not soccer) than baseball, London has hosted some of MLB’s most memorable overseas games. The inaugural 2019 edition delivered a blockbuster rivalry with Yankees vs Red Sox, producing unusually high-scoring contests, including a 17-13 Yankees win. Later series featured Cubs vs Cardinals and Mets vs Phillies, cementing London Stadium as MLB’s flagship European venue.

Tokyo Series (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2019, 2025)

The Tokyo Series has hosted several high-profile matches, establishing Tokyo Dome as MLB’s most consistent international venue for competitive games. Notable moments include Ichiro Suzuki playing in front of home fans in 2012 and Shohei Ohtani’s return to Japan as a Dodger in 2025.

Seoul Series (2024)

The 2024 Seoul Series brought regular-season MLB baseball to South Korea for the first time. The headline match-up at Gocheok Sky Dome was Dodgers vs Padres, notable for Ohtani’s first official game with the blue side of Los Angeles. The first game finished 5-2 in the Dodgers’ favour, while the Padres took the second game 15-11.

Australia Series (2014)

MLB’s first regular-season appearance in the Southern Hemisphere opened the 2014 MLB season with a divisional match-up between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks at Sydney Cricket Ground. In front of 38,266 fans, Clayton Kershaw delivered a strong Opening Day performance, pitching 6.2 innings with seven strikeouts to lead the Dodgers to a 3-1 win. Los Angeles then swept the mini-series with a 7-5 win in Game 2.

China Series (2008)

Although the series consisted only of exhibition games between the Dodgers and Padres at Wukesong Stadium, it was historically significant as MLB’s first on-ground presence in China to help introduce MLB-calibre talent to a new market ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

Taiwan All-Star Series (2011)

The five-game Taiwan All-Star Series featured MLB players such as Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Pablo Sandoval against the Chinese Taipei national team, giving fans in Taiwan rare exposure to MLB stars in a single exhibition series.

Cuba Exhibition Series (1999)

Despite not being an official series, this marked the first time an MLB team played in Cuba since 1959 and carried major diplomatic significance. The Baltimore Orioles faced the Cuban national team in Havana’s Estadio Latinoamericano, winning the opener 3–2 in extra innings. A return game in Baltimore later saw Cuba win 12-6.

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