MLB chief confirms 2026 return to international venue
In 2026, Major League Baseball is set to return to a country that has held regular-season action on several previous occasions.
Major League Baseball is set to return to Mexico in the 2026 season after skipping the country in 2025.
Rodrigo Fernández, the head of MLB’s Mexico office, confirmed in an exclusive interview with Diario AS that regular-season baseball will be back in Mexico City next year.
Where will Mexican MLB games be played?
Fernández revealed that the venue will be the Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, though other key details - such as the participating teams and exact dates - are still being finalized.
“We’re definitely going to have games in Mexico,” Fernández said during the MLB Clubhouse event in Mexico City. “We haven’t made an official announcement yet because we’re still finalizing negotiations with the teams.”
He added: “We expect to make the announcement within the next two months. It will be a regular-season action in Mexico City.”
Nearly three decades since MLB’s first Mexican foray
To date, MLB has played seven regular-season series in Mexico - five in Monterrey, Nuevo León, and the two most recent in the capital. The San Diego Padres faced the San Francisco Giants in 2023, followed by the Houston Astros taking on the Colorado Rockies in 2024.
The first-ever Mexico Series took place in 1996, when the New York Mets played the San Diego Padres at Estadio Monterrey. That game was especially memorable as Mexican legend Fernando Valenzuela suited up for the Padres in front of 23,699 fans in a stadium with a capacity of 25,644.
Three years later, the Padres returned to face the Rockies on Opening Day 1999. After that, it would take 19 years for MLB to return to Mexican soil.
In 2019, Monterrey hosted two series - Reds vs Cardinals and Astros vs Angels - before the covid-19 pandemic put a halt to MLB’s international travel plans. It wasn’t until 2023 that the league resumed games in Mexico, this time in the capital.
MLB regular-season series played in Mexico:
- 1996: New York Mets vs San Diego Padres
- 1999: Colorado Rockies vs San Diego Padres
- 2018: San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2019: Cincinnati Reds vs St. Louis Cardinals
- 2019: Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels
- 2023: San Diego Padres vs San Francisco Giants
- 2024: Houston Astros vs Colorado Rockies
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment