MLB Cancels Yankees vs. Blue Jays Series in London 2026 Due to Problems

MLB Cancels London Games Due to Scheduling Issues

Major League Baseball (MLB) has decided to cancel its plans to hold two games in London next season due to scheduling inconveniences with the London Stadium, home of West Ham, and its television partner. MLB intended for the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays to face off in London on June 13th and 14th, but West Ham has their last Premier League match against Leeds on May 24th. This left little time to convert the field for baseball, and MLB was unable to schedule games for later in June due to the lack of available broadcast slots from Fox, due to the commitments of the Men’s World Cup.

The London games will not take place

Rob Manfred

MLB played in London for the first time in 2019, when the Yankees swept two games against the Boston Red Sox. A two-game series scheduled between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs in 2020 was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the series were split there by the Cardinals and the Cubs in 2023 and the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024.

The MLB labor contract included games in Paris for 2025, but they were canceled because MLB and the players’ association couldn’t find a promoter. Manfred also mentioned that MLB is working on grassroots initiatives in India due to that nation’s affinity for cricket. Manfred also indicated that Mexico is a priority. MLB played regular season games in Monterrey in 1996, 1999, 2018 and 2019, and in Mexico City in 2023 and 2024. Arizona and San Diego are likely to play in Mexico City on April 25th and 26th. The MLB has gained ground in the Asian market, especially in recent years due to the following of Shohei Ohtani. The MLB inaugurated the season in Tokyo, Japan, in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2019 and this year, and in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024.