mlb world tour europe

Europe: MLB London Series details announced as part of new MLB World Tour

The MLB London Series will be reprised in 2023 with a two-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs on June 24-25, 2023, as was announced recently by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).    

The 2023 London Series will mark a return to the baseball-configured London Stadium following the inaugural Mitel & MLB London Series that was held on June 29-30, 2019 between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The two-games at London Stadium were the first-ever regular season games played in Europe.

The 2023 London Series is part of the MLB WORLD TOUR, an historic slate of games that will bring MLB teams and players to the league’s global fan base. The MLB WORLD TOUR represents MLB and the MLBPA’s largest ever international play plan featuring up to 24 regular season games and up to 16 exhibition games to be played in Asia, Mexico and Latin America, and Europe through the 2026 season.

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MLB World Tour: London Series 2023

24/06/2023 - 25/06/2023

Major League Baseball is returning to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's London Stadium for the 2023 London Series! Next year's London Series is part of the MLB WORLD TOUR, a historic slate of games that will bring MLB teams and players to the league’s global fan base.

The Stadium will welcome two of the greatest teams in baseball as the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs go head-to-head on 24 – 25 June 2023.

This marks a return to baseball at London Stadium following the inaugural Mitel & MLB London Series in 2019 between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees - the first-ever regular season games played in Europe.

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Baseball Is Back At London Stadium!

St. Louis Cardinals will host Chicago Cubs in a National League Central Match-Up  on June 24-25, 2023 

Fans can register their details here  to keep up to date with the latest information from MLB Europe.

The MLB London Series will be reprised in 2023 with a two-game series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs on June 24-25, 2023, as was announced today by Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).    

The 2023 London Series will mark a return to the baseball-configured London Stadium following the inaugural Mitel & MLB London Series that was held on June 29-30, 2019, between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The two-games at London Stadium were the first-ever regular season games played in Europe.

Both teams have previously played regular season games on the international stage. In 2000 the Cubs traveled to Tokyo, Japan to open the season with 2-games against the New York Mets and in 2003, played a 3-game series against the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2019 the Cardinals took on the Cincinnati Reds in a two-game series in Monterrey, Mexico.

“The Cardinals are excited and honored to be a part of the London Series next year.  The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry is one of the best in sports, and it will be exciting to bring it to Europe for a new audience to experience,” said William DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and CEO. “I have no doubt that the passionate sports fans in London will love these games and we look forward to creating some new Cardinals fans overseas.”

“The MLB London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals has been in the works for years now and we’re thrilled to finally be able to bring one of baseball’s biggest rivalries to fans abroad in 2023,” said Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts. “We hope that this series not only excites and entertains but brings more international sports fans to the game we all love.” 

Graham Gilmore, CEO of London Stadium, said: “We are immensely proud to host Major League Baseball back at London Stadium, after the hugely popular London Series in 2019. This commitment will allow us to support the aim of MLB to grow the game in the UK for years to come, while demonstrating the versatility of our magnificent venue.”

The 2023 London Series is part of the MLB WORLD TOUR, a historic slate of games that will bring MLB teams and players to the league’s global fan base. The MLB WORLD TOUR represents MLB and the MLBPA’s largest ever international play plan featuring up to 24 regular season games and up to 16 exhibition games to be played in Asia, Mexico and Latin America, and Europe through the 2026 season.

Our subscribers have enjoyed pre-sale access to our biggest events, enjoying the opportunity to secure their seats well ahead of the hustle and bustle of general sale.

MLB World Tour: London Series comes to Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster has today announced a multi-year partnership with CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM), the official promoter of the MLB World Tour: London Series. 

Major League Baseball will return to London next year as the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs play a two-game series at London Stadium on June 24-25, 2023.  Regular season games are also scheduled in 2024 and 2026 as part of the long-term strategic partnership between MLB and the capital city.

Following the success of the 2019 series between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, CSM and Ticketmaster will work in partnership to sell and distribute tickets for the 2023, 2024, and 2026 series. 

“We are pleased to be partnering again with Ticketmaster, the global leader in their field to deliver our ticketing operations for the 2023, 2024 and 2026 London Series.  Andrew Owen, Managing Director – Major Events, CSM Sport and Entertainment

“In 2023, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play out their fierce rivalry at the transformed London Stadium and we are excited to deliver an authentic and memorable ballpark experience for fans across the UK, Europe and beyond.” 

Andrew Parsons, Managing Director Ticketmaster UK added: “Our partnership with CSM Sport & Entertainment is one we value highly, and we look forward to delivering the best experience to fans in London.  “That exhilarating feeling of attending a live sports game is unrivalled, and with fan demand only continuing to grow we can’t wait for what the next few years of this partnership bring.” 

For more information visit mlb.com/LondonSeries  

About CSM Sport & Entertainment

CSM Sport & Entertainment, part of the Chime Challenger Network, is a global integrated marketing agency. Bringing together leading industry experts, we offer a full range of services across sport and entertainment globally. Driven by a team of 1000+ people in 25+ locations, our purpose is to pursue extraordinary, using the power of sport and entertainment to inspire a better world. Connecting with people through their passion points, we bring meaningful partnerships to life for both brands and rights holders and create unforgettable experiences for our clients.

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MLB Moves Forward With Plans for Paris 2025

• Author: Tom Verducci

As Major League Baseball works on logistical hurdles in its plan to open the 2024 regular season in Seoul, South Korea, it is committed to playing games in Paris in ’25.

The Yankees and Red Sox are among the teams that have expressed a strong desire to play in Paris, which will host the first MLB games in continental Europe, according to a source familiar with the plan. They may be competing for one of the two coveted spots. It is unlikely MLB would schedule a Yankees–Red Sox series, according to the source, if only because those teams played the first London Series games in 2019.

No site has been selected for the Paris games. MLB is looking at soccer venues, which are not always easily converted to MLB specifications. For instance, before deciding on London Stadium for the London Series, MLB considered historic Wembley Stadium as the venue but found the maximum distance for the right field wall to be 280 feet from home plate. MLB rules require parks constructed since 1958 to have a minimum distance of 325 feet.

As part of the collective bargaining agreement signed last year, MLB and the Players Association agreed to play regular season games at multiple international sites each year of the five-year contract, through 2026. South Korea and France would join Mexico, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom as countries to have hosted regular-season MLB games outside of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

The tentative plan for next year is to open the season with the Dodgers and Padres playing in Seoul, as first reported by ESPN. The series has not been finalized because of “logistical issues,” according to the source. A plan for an MLB All-Star tour in South Korea after last season fell through over the summer. If the Dodgers-Padres series in Seoul cannot be finalized, MLB would consider opening the season in Tokyo, as it did in 2000, ’04, ’08, ’12 and ’19, though the teams picked to play in Japan could be different than the ones scheduled for Seoul.

This year, MLB is returning to London with the Cardinals playing the Cubs June 24 and 25. Another London Series is scheduled for 2024, with the Mets scheduled to play the Phillies. Games also are returning next season to Mexico City, where the Padres and Giants played last month. The Astros and Rockies are expected to play there in ’24.

In 2025, MLB plans games in Paris, Mexico City, Japan and possibly San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 2026, games are tentatively scheduled for Mexico City, London and possibly San Juan. The World Baseball Classic returns in ’26, with sites to be determined.

A domestic special venue event, the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, is on hiatus because of renovations at the facility. The game could return in 2025 or ’26, according to a source familiar with the plans.

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MLB London Series: When and how to watch the division-rival Cubs and Cardinals duke it out overseas

The MLB World Tour continues in late June, as the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are set to play in the London Series. The two-game series, which will take place Saturday and Sunday, will be played at London Stadium, where West Ham United normally plays.

The series will mark the first time since 2019 that MLB has played a game in Europe. The 2019 series featured the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox , and the first game of that series turned out to be memorable, as a combined 30 runs were scored in a 17-13 win by the Yankees.

The Cardinals and Cubs were originally slated to take part in the London Series in 2020, but the series was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The league didn't play any games outside the United States or Canada until 2023, when the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants played in the Mexico Series in April . The Padres won both games, which saw a total of 37 runs scored.

Who will serve as the home team in the London Series?

The Cardinals will host the Cubs in London. Both teams have experience playing games internationally. The Cubs traveled to Tokyo to play the New York Mets and took on the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during the 2003 season. The Cardinals played against the Cincinnati Reds in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2019.

What are the pitching matchups for the London Series?

The Cubs will send Justin Steele to the mound to take on Adam Wainwright on Saturday. Steele is in the midst of his finest season as a pro, with a 2.71 ERA over 73 innings. Wainwright, the longtime Cardinals ace, is off to a rough start in 2023, with a 5.56 ERA over 43 2/3 innings.

On Sunday, Marcus Stroman will get the start against Jack Flaherty . Stroman is putting up All-Star numbers for the Cubs and has a 2.28 ERA over 98 2/3 innings. Flaherty carries a 4.95 ERA into the contest. He has thrown 80 innings.

How will London Stadium play?

During a 2019 series between the Red Sox and Yankees, a grand total of 50 runs were scored over two games. The Yankees took the first game 17-13 and won the second game 12-8.

MLB is trying to curb some of that this time around. The league is moving the fences back for the Cardinals-Cubs series. Center field is expected to be 7 feet deeper this time around, while right-center and left-center will be pushed back roughly 5 feet. The wall won't be pushed back near the foul poles. It will still be roughly 330 feet down each line.

That might cut down on some offense, but the park should still play pretty small compared to most MLB stadiums.

How can I watch the MLB London Series?

Saturday's contest will be televised by Fox and is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Sunday's game will be televised by ESPN and is scheduled for a 10:10 a.m. ET start.

Are there more MLB World Tour games in 2023?

No additional MLB World Tour games are set to take place in 2023. The league is expected to return to London in 2024 and 2026 . There are rumors that the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets will play in the London Series in 2024. There are also reports suggesting that the 2024 MLB season will open in South Korea .

As part of the most recent collective bargaining agreement, both MLB and the MLBPA agreed to play more international games. The league is reportedly looking to play games in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paris and Puerto Rico.

Major League Baseball World Tour: London Series 2023 Returns Bigger Than Ever

Baseball fans across Europe are getting ready to cheer as the Major League Baseball (MLB) World Tour: London Series 2023 returns this summer. After a successful debut in 2019, the highly-anticipated event returns to London Stadium on June 24-25th, when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs - whose rivalry stretches back more than 130 years - contest two regular season games.

VCCP Media, in partnership with CSM Sport & Entertainment (CSM) and MLB, has launched a 360 campaign spanning broadcast and addressable TV, BVOD, DOOH, and paid social. 

The campaign creative, developed by CSM, showcases how fans will have the opportunity to enjoy an authentic US ballpark experience with high-intensity action and entertainment, in London this summer. 

To bring this experience to life, the campaign is led by a partnership with Sky which will see the 30” TV spot appear adjacent to marquee sporting events nationally across Sky and BT Sport throughout April. This is supported by a rollout through Sky’s One Campaign solution reaching event-goers throughout London and the South East via AdSmart, BVOD & Advance. 

To build reach and stature the campaign also includes full-motion digital outdoor screens targeting key London Underground stations, such as Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square, which are synonymous with big events in the capital.

The campaign’s 30” film depicts the excitement of Major League Baseball, starting with a shot of the London Olympic Stadium and crowds arriving to watch the games. A range of ‘unbelievable’ batting shots are shown alongside amazing catches, as well as cheering crowds who are enjoying the games. It ends with a voice over saying “Experience the thrill of Major League Baseball this summer”. The upbeat music throughout adds to the excitement alongside the sounds of the crowds cheering. The film has been designed to create a buzz and attract people to the games.

An ongoing digital partnership with JOE Media, which is led through co-produced content shot during the 2022 MLB World Series, will further amplify the experience for fans when baseball makes a spectacular return to London. 

Andy Owen, managing director - Major Events, CSM, said, "With a packed house at London Stadium watching one of baseball's most intense and historic rivalries, the MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 promises to be a spectacular event. CSM is proud to have developed the creative, and to be working with MLB and VCCP Media to amplify the campaign. We are excited for the launch and to build anticipation for another historic series in London." 

Tara Marus, CEO of VCCP Media, said, “We are really excited to be launching this multi-channel AV campaign promoting the London Series and celebrating the spectacular event returning to the UK. Working with the innovative and passionate teams at media owners, CSM and MLB alike, with challenger spirits, they really do epitomise the type of brand and partners we love to work with."

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MLB views the UK as a gateway to European growth, with eyes on Paris and Germany

FILE - General view at the pitch during an unveiling of the London Stadium in London, on June 27, 2019. The baseball field being installed at London Stadium will be slightly bigger than the one in 2019. The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play two games at the home of Premier League club West Ham next weekend. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

FILE - New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge reacts as he rounds the bases after a two-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 29, 2019, in London. Major League Baseball has big plans for Europe with a reintroduction coming this weekend when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs square off for a two-game series in London. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox featured in London four years ago before the pandemic threw a curveball into the league’s plans. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, File)

FILE - Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers catches a ball during batting practice in London, on June 28, 2019. The baseball field being installed at London Stadium will be slightly bigger than the one in 2019. The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will play two games at the home of Premier League club West Ham next weekend. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

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LONDON (AP) — London seems like a no-brainer for a European road trip. Paris is all but assured next. Why not throw in Germany and the Netherlands?

Major League Baseball has big plans for Europe, starting with an English reintroduction to the sport this weekend when the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs play a two-game series in London.

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox featured in London four years ago, smashing six home runs in a European debut for MLB that was higher scoring — the Yankees won 17-13 — than the NFL’s first one in London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10.

Though the coronavirus pandemic threw a curveball — the Cards-Cubs series was slated for 2020 — the success of the World Baseball Classic has provided a boost. Britain won a game at the tournament for the first time and found a star in Seattle Mariners prospect Harry Ford, who was born in Atlanta but has parents from the U.K.

“The U.K. has really been identified for us, London in particular, as the jumping off point for us to get into Europe,” Chris Marinak, MLB’s chief operations and strategy officer, told The Associated Press. “We feel like we proved that out in 2019. By coming back and having a really strong showing ... we’re going to have the opportunity to really make some headway for growth both in the U.K. and throughout Europe.”

Britain is MLB’s biggest market in Europe in terms of broadcast revenue, merchandise sales and subscribers to digital products, though it trails the likes of Mexico, Japan, South Korea, China and Australia.

Audience research company GWI’s data showed that interest in baseball among British sports fans increased from 4% in 2019 to 5.9% last year, the league said. It added that MLB Europe’s social media channels since the 2019 series have more than tripled their followers to 452,000.

The New York-Boston series, a two-game set that drew nearly 119,000 fans to London Stadium, was a driver in the BBC signing a deal last fall to begin broadcasting a handful of games, including the London series, each season. MLB’s lead broadcaster in the U.K., the pay-TV service BT Sport, last year renewed its agreement to broadcast 15 games per season.

“We feel like the U.K. offers us a good model for growth in the Europe market,” Marinak said.

MLB’s first regular-season game outside of the United States — including Puerto Rico — and Canada was in 1996 when the New York Mets and San Diego Padres played a three-game series in Monterrey, Mexico. The league has also staged games in Tokyo and Australia. Earlier this season, Mexico City hosted a two-game series between the Padres and San Francisco Giants.

The Yankees are lobbying to play in Paris in 2025. The league hasn’t announced the City of Light just yet, but Marinak noted: “We see a lot of engagement in France.” The players’ association signed off on MLB holding a game in Paris in 2025 as part of last year’s collective bargaining agreement.

London is locked in for a series next year and another in 2026.

The Netherlands — bolstered by baseball’s popularity in Aruba and Curacao — and Italy boast the best national teams in Europe, though the Czech Republic is improving. Germany — which has become the NFL’s leading market in Europe — has a big U.S. military presence and has produced several big leaguers, including Minnesota’s Max Kepler.

“We’ve really focused on looking into Europe as once a year, maybe max twice a year ... just because it’s such an effort to get over there, and it doesn’t really fit into the normal cadence of the major league schedule, but we really do think it’s important to bring live game content to the market,” Marinak said.

“We want to hit our priority markets but we may rotate around to a Germany in the long run or if there’s a facility in the Netherlands that we could potentially look at, France we’ve talked about, the UK,” he continued. ”But for the medium term we’re really focused on the UK as our primary vehicle.”

A suitable venue is the tricky part. Olympic-style, multi-use stadiums are possibilities, like Stade de France. Baseball was a demonstration sport at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin’s Olympiastadion. Renovating the Sydney Cricket Ground for the Australia series in 2014 “was sort of a complicated endeavor,” Marinak said.

The NFL, NBA and NHL have been staging games in Europe for years, leaving MLB playing catch up. Thirty years ago, MLB scheduled exhibitions between Mets and Red Sox minor leaguers at the Oval, but rain at the London cricket venue washed out the first two days. Technically, baseball’s connection with Britain goes way back , starting with exhibitions between the Boston Red Stockings and Philadelphia Athletics in 1874.

In a more modern development, MLB is giving individual teams certain marketing rights abroad, like the NFL does.

“They have the opportunity to pick a few markets and do sponsorships,” Marinak said. “We think that’s an opportunity to grow, where teams can activate in local markets and really pick places where they can bring their brand to bear and then also bring those relationships with some of those international partners back to the United States.”

Having a star player from abroad is vital, said sports economist Victor Matheson, a professor at the College of the Holy Cross. Pro leagues “tend to generate a reasonable amount of revenue in those players’ home countries.” Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is the shining example.

“That being said, with so few MLB players hailing from the UK or the rest of the EU, it’s my impression that MLB has made almost no inroads into Europe,” Matheson said.

MLB hopes Britain’s relative success in the WBC planted a seed. The 20-year-old Ford, whose parents are British, was Seattle’s top pick in the 2021 draft and hit a home run in Britain’s 7-5 win over Colombia — which qualified the team for the next WBC.

“You need that type of star to create the engagement and the interest in the local market,” Marinak said.

For now, the focus is on the weekend games at London Stadium.

“We’re optimistic that this is the next step in a long journey of linking Major League Baseball to the U.K. and the rest of Europe.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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MLB’s two-game London Series 2023 to air exclusively on Fox, ESPN

This will be the first set of MLB games in Europe since the inaugural London Series in 2019.

Major League Baseball continues its effort to go international with the London Series 2023.

The league officially announced the broadcast details of the two-game set between the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals on June 24-25, with games airing exclusively on Fox Sports and ESPN.

The first game of the series, which is part of the MLB World Tour, will air on Fox, while Sunday’s matchup will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Cardinals-Cubs series in London was originally set for the 2020 season but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MLB’s international tour has had the sport traveling to Japan, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Additionally, it’s included an MLB exhibition game in Cuba and special events including “MLB at Field of Dreams.”

“The 2023 London Series is part of the MLB World Tour, a historic slate of games that will bring MLB teams and players to the league’s global fan base,” MLB said in a press release . “The MLB World Tour represents MLB and the MLBPA’s largest ever international play plan with regular season and exhibition games to be played in Asia, Europe, Mexico, and Latin America through the 2026 season.”

ESPN previously aired Home Run Derby X, a similar global baseball tour that made stops in London, Seoul, South Korea, and Mexico City. It featured former MLB stars such as Nick Swisher, Adrian Gonzalez, and Jonny Gomes.

Fox Sports is no stranger to big MLB games as the home of World Series coverage, but it continues to try to introduce the game to a bigger audience.

The London Series, which is the first set of baseball games in Europe since the inaugural London Series in 2019 , will have its first pitch on Saturday, June 24, at 1:10 p.m. ET/6:10 p.m. GMT while Sunday’s start time on ESPN will be 10:10 a.m. ET/3:10 p.m. GMT.

About Jessica Kleinschmidt

Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. She previously worked for MLB.com and NBC Sports Bay Area.

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MLB in ‘planning stages’ for 2025 Paris series, exploring other international locations: Manfred

Major League Baseball is in the “planning stages” of organizing a series in Paris in 2025 similar to this weekend’s London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals , commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday. Here’s what you need to know:

• “We are in the process of working on Paris in 2025,” Manfred said at a news conference. “We’re not at the point where we’re going to make a commitment or a more formal announcement, but it is in the planning stages.”
• Also on Friday, Manfred officially announced the Mets and Phillies are taking their rivalry across the pond for the 2024 London Series. The Athletic previously reported in May the details of next season’s two-game series between the National League East foes.
• The Cubs and Cardinals will face off at London Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

Hey London – we’ll see you next year!   The @Mets and @Phillies will take part in the 2024 #LondonSeries on June 8 and 9. pic.twitter.com/xTipiCtKMm — MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2023

What Manfred said

Manfred addressed how the MLB plans to expand its international games outside of Europe in the future.

“We have a very detailed plan to play in addition to London. We’ve been to Mexico already. We intend to be there again,” he said. “We view Europe, generally, as a strategic priority for us going forward. We are also interested in places in the Americas where it’s closer to home and baseball has more of a rooting in the culture. … Japan, Taiwan and Korea also remain important initiatives for us and we will be playing in those countries over the course of the next few years.”

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Asked when a decision on the A’s relocation to Las Vegas could occur, Manfred said, “I don’t have a firm timeline … it depends when the (relocation) application comes in and how long the (relocation) committee feels it needs to examine the application.”

Manfred added that the A’s franchise has not submitted its application to move out of Oakland.

Talks of an MLB series in Paris began circulating last year, with the Yankees among the teams who expressed interest in playing in the French capital. The Yankees played the Boston Red Sox in the 2019 London Series, sweeping their rivals in the two-game series at West Ham’s Olympic Stadium.

The 2019 London Series was the first set of MLB regular-season games played in Europe.

This season, the Padres and Giants met for a two-game series in Mexico City in April. It marked MLB’s first regular-season trip to the Mexican capital. San Diego scored a combined 22 runs in their series sweep over San Francisco .

The Cubs and Cardinals were originally slated to play in London in 2020, but that series was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. MLB made plans to return to London in 2023, 2024 and 2026 as part of its new collective bargaining agreement.

Required reading

• Rosenthal: A new role for the fiercest of competitors. Meet Chase Utley, ambassador.
• Rosenthal: MLB owners have chance to question A’s move to Vegas; plus trade deadline decisions

(Photo: Mark Cunningham / MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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Djokovic in fine fettle after 'best performance' at Monte Carlo

World number one Novak Djokovic said his clinical win over Roman Safiullin was one of his best-ever performances at the Monte Carlo Masters, adding that he was feeling great at the outset of a tournament where he has often struggled in recent years.

The Masters 2024: Fantasy DP World Tour ones to watch

All eyes are on Augusta National this week for the 88th playing of the Masters Tournament , but who are you picking in your team on the DP World Tour's official Fantasy game?

To play Fantasy DP World Tour, click here .

Spain's  Jon Rahm  is the defending champion after he won his second Major title on the 40th anniversary of Seve Ballesteros' second win at Augusta National 12 months ago, with an array of international talent looking to claim the coveted Green Jacket this year.

World Number 1 and 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler arrives in sensational form, while Rory McIlroy is making a 10th attempt to complete the Grand Slam of winning all four majors and Tiger Woods makes just his second start worldwide this season, five years on from his remarkable fifth Masters triumph.

Ryder Cup star Ludvig Åberg , already a winner on both the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR having turned professional last summer, makes his Major Championship debut this week as does Japan's Ryo Hisatsune , while another rookie Matthieu Pavon looks to create more headlines after his history-making exploits on the PGA TOUR earlier this year.

Norway's Viktor Hovland and England's Matt Fitzpatrick enjoyed top-10 finishes in 2023, while Tommy Fleetwood among others is hoping to challenge for his first Major victory.

If you have not done so already, you can sign up to play the official 2024 DP World Tour Fantasy game and submit your six-man team before the first round gets under way on Thursday:  https://fantasy.dpworldtour.com/

The 2024 season-long winner will win a trip to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next year, enjoy a lesson with a DP World Tour professional and a round of golf on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. For more information on this amazing prize and others, read  here .

Launching the Augusta Challenge

This week, with the Masters in mind, the Augusta Challenge helps fans to get closer to the action at this year's first Major.

The rules are simple. Create a team and be automatically entered into our Augusta Challenge league. Finish in the top three points scorers for the chance to win the following:

• 1st Place - Two 2024 Season Tickets and a £250 DP World Tour Store voucher
• 2nd Place - Two DP World Tour Season Tickets
• 3rd Place - Two DP World Tour Season Tickets

Click here to view terms and conditions

Fantasy Insight: As it stands, Scottie Scheffler is the favourite for players of our Fantasy Game this week , featuring in 88% of teams. Other popular players include defending champion Jon Rahm (67%) and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy (64%).

Viktor Hovland, who is yet to miss a cut at Augusta National in his first four appearances, is the fourth most picked player, featuring in 44% of Fantasy teams.

Here, we pick out three players in action this week who are worth considering for your Fantasy team selections.

Favourite - Scottie Scheffler

Quite simply he is the best player in the world. Twice a winner already this year, including at The Players Championship last month, and with his worst finish this season a tie for 17th, it would be no surprise if he claimed his second Green Jacket, two years after his first.

The American is also one of just three players (alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Shane Lowry) to have finished in the top 25 at each of the last four Masters.

Statistically the strongest across a number of categories on the PGA TOUR, the 27-year-old will be a tough act to beat if he has a good week on the greens.

Form horse - Ludvig Åberg

You begin to run out of superlatives for the Swede. Less than a year on from turning professional, the young Swede is preparing for his first Major Championship appearance.

Labelled a "generational talent" by Team Europe Captain Luke Donald ahead of his Ryder Cup debut last September, Åberg arrives at Augusta National in fine form - he has three top 10s in his last six PGA TOUR starts and has finished no worse than a tie for 25th during that stretch.

A winner on both sides of the Atlantic, and now inside the world's top 10, could he become the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win on his Masters debut? He has certainly proven himself capable of rising to the biggest challenges before.

Wild card - Justin Rose

The former World Number One is not to be discounted easily.

While his results since contesting the Ryder Cup might not inspire much confidence, it is hard to find others who are yet to win the Masters with a more enviable record at Augusta National.

In his 18 appearances to date, he has six top-10s, twice finishing runner-up. In that time, he has also made the cut on 16 occasions, so someone who historically gives himself a shot at the title heading into the final 36 holes.

Looking back – Hero Indian Open

Keita Nakajima became the second Japanese to win on the DP World Tour this season at the DLF Golf & Country Club as he picked up 232 Fantasy player points, rewarding the near 12% of the game's users who had him in their team.

Team of the Week - Hero Indian Open

Season so far - 2024 dp world tour fantasy player rankings.

Porsche Singapore Classic: Fantasy DP World Tour ones to watch

Feel closer to the action on the DP World Tour by competing against golf fans from around the world in our official Fantasy game as the Asian Swing begins with the Porsche Singapore Classic. To play Fantasy DP World Tour, click here.

Discover more

The Masters 2024: Guide to the DP World Tour members in action

The Masters 2024: Who is in the field and how did they qualify? 

The Masters 2024: Tournament guide

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