Mets will face the Phillies in next season’s London Series, owner Steve Cohen calls it ‘a tremendous honor’ – The Denver Post

PHILADELPHIA — The Mets are headed across the pond next year to face an NL East rival.

MLB and the MLBPA announced the opponents for next year’s London Series, naming the Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. The two-game series will take place at London Stadium from June 8-9, and it will mark the third time the venue has hosted an MLB rivalry series. The Yankees and the Boston Red Sox played the inaugural series in 2019 and the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will play two games there this weekend.

“Alex and I are thrilled the Mets will play in the MLB 2024 London Series,” Mets owner and CEO Steve Cohen said in a statement. “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. Our Queens family is ready to show London a great time with exciting baseball and amazing experiences that create new fans and build the Mets community throughout the United Kingdom.”

The London Series is part of an effort by the league to spread the game beyond the United States and Canada. The World Tour will see up to 24 regular season games and up to 16 exhibition games played in Asia, Mexico and Latin America and Europe through 2026.

This is the third time the Mets have played internationally, having played in Monterrey, Mexico against the San Diego Padres in 1996, in Japan against the Cubs in 2000 and 10 years later, in a three-game series against the Florida Marlins in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This will be the first appearance in an international series for the Phillies.

“Major League Baseball has done an excellent job of expanding its footprint internationally and we are honored to play a role in that effort as part of the 2024 London Series,” said Phillies owner John Middleton in a statement released by the league. “This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our players’ talents and highlight the excitement that comes with a Phillies-Mets matchup for our fans in the UK and for those who have never attended a baseball game.”

The announcement was made ahead of the Mets series against the Phillies this weekend in Philadelphia. The two rivals will play their second three-game series of the season starting Friday at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets swept the Phillies late last month at Citi Field.

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