The Tokyo Series Proves That MLB Needs to Expand Its International Reach

[Matthew Lenz]

For the second consecutive season, Major League Baseball opened their regular season with an international Opening Day for two clubs. For the second consecutive season, it was a resounding success. Now, it's time for the league to expand their international brand.

Image courtesy of © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In recent seasons, MLB has done a better job of trying to expand their reach by playing games in areas that don't have a Major League Baseball team. The longest-running annual tradition is the MLB Little League Classic where two teams play at the site of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. This event started in 2017 and will continue in 2025, with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets squaring off in front of a crowd full of Little League players and families. In 2018, the Twins played the Cleveland Guardians in San Juan, Puerto Rico in a matchup that included multiple Puerto Ricans, including stars Francisco Lindor and José Berríos. 

More recently, MLB teams have played in Dyersville, Iowa (the site of the Field of Dreams movie). It's been two years since a game has been hosted at this location due to construction, but it sounds like it will be returning once construction is completed. In 2024, the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals played at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., the oldest existing professional baseball stadium in the country. Rickwood was once home to the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro American League. In 2023 and 2024, MLB played the Mexico City Series, but that will not continue in 2025 due to economic issues, according to MLB commissioner Rob Mandred. They've visited London (in 2019, 2023, and 2024), but the previously-scheduled Paris Series was canceled for 2025 due to not finding a promoter for the event. That brings us to the Seoul Series in 2024 and the Tokyo Series in 2025, which had record-setting ratings.

For a league that has struggled with its marketability and reach for decades, it’s time that they continue taking advantage of having one of the most diverse groups of players of the four major sports in the States—and more broadly, in the world. According to Forbes, at the start of the 2024 season, MLB teams rostered 264 internationally-born players. Those players hailed from 19 different countries and territories outside of the United States. The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Cuba represent the largest number of non-American-born players, with México and Japan also having double-digit representation in MLB. While attempts have been made to expand, citing economics as the reason they're canceling economic events undermines the bigger picture of building the game's audience. It may cost the league in the short term, but over the long term, playing in new spaces can only help to maximize their viewership and following.

Perhaps MLB needs to be more strategic with where they play their games. At the start of the 2024 season, Max Kepler was the only European-born player, and he's not going to draw an audience like international superstars have done when returning to their home countries. Sure, between the United Kingdom and France there are upwards of 140 million people, but what buy-in does the area (or even the entire continent) have when they're essentially not represented in MLB? Instead, MLB needs to go to the countries that are highly represented by their players. In addition to the current series that exist, here are some ideas that could have worked in the 2025 season.

Dominican Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks v San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners v Cleveland Guardians
MLB did play spring training contests at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in 2024, but that's obviously not the same as a regular-season matchup. The four teams mentioned above would bring Ketel Marte, Fernando Tatís Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Luis Castillo, and José Ramírez (among others) back to their home country, which boasts some of the most passionate baseball fans in the world. 

Venezuela
Minnesota Twins v Atlanta Braves
St. Louis Cardinals v Milwaukee Brewers
Estadio Monumental de Caracas Simón Bolívar is a newer stadium in Venezuela, and the country has never hosted MLB games. The matchups above would feature the best Venezuelan players in the game such as Pablo López, Ronald Acuña Jr., and the Contreras brothers (William and Willson).

Cuba
Houston Astros v Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays v Chicago White Sox
MLB last played in Cuba in 2016, at the only recent lull in decades of political tension. The four teams above would feature Yordan Álvarez, Adolis García, Luis Robert Jr, and Yandy Díaz returning to their roots.

Puerto Rico
Toronto Blue Jays v New York Mets
A return to Puerto Rico would highlight players such as Lindor, Edwin Díaz, and Berriós, but would also bring much-needed attention to the tenuous status of Puerto Rico. It's currently a U.S. territory and (in the eyes of many who live there) colony, and one way or anohter, that relationship seems likely to require an alteration in the near future.

These sites would bring home the largest numbers of foreign-born players across MLB and highlight some of the best players in the game. I think MLB is really missing an opportunity by not consistently hosting games in these countries, despite the economic issues they may have.

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What are some other sites that could host MLB games? Join the conversation in the comments!

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[Craig Arko]

Maybe post-invasion Canada, Panama, and Greenland.

[Linus]

I would think MLB has its hands full with solving its current problems.

[tony&rodney]

I cannot agree with international expansion of MLB. If leagues in other countries want to play series after the seasons end between  various teams, fine. The recent LAD-CHC series smacked of imperialism in many of the comments. The history of imperialism should be avoided - nearly no good comes from it.

I also thought using those two games as regular season contests was unnatural. The teams used their pitchers differently than if they had a 3 or 4 game series with another series to follow immediately, which does not mirror regular season action.

Japan has their own leagues, as do other countries, with specific differences in play and fan experiences. It is enough to have exhibitions or traveling teams play in the offseason and a type of World Cup every four years.

My cent.

[AugieOjedaFanboy]

"The recent LAD-CHC series smacked of imperialism in many of the comments." What comments? I'm confused.

[tony&rodney]

30 minutes ago, AugieOjedaFanboy said:

"The recent LAD-CHC series smacked of imperialism in many of the comments." What comments? I'm confused.

Did you watch the games? Red the comments related to the games?

[tony&rodney]

2 hours ago, Linus said:

I would think MLB has its hands full with solving its current problems.

Yah. Manfred is ..... manfred. MLB wants to expand at the same time as two teams play in minor league venues and a host of other teams struggle. Meanwhile the Twins cannot find anyone to televise their games, but they have plenty of company.

[AugieOjedaFanboy]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Did you watch the games? Red the comments related to the games?

Only bits. What part seemed like imperialism?

[Doctor Wu]

Canada or Mexico is fine, but the idea of playing regular season games in Japan would be too much of a reach, not to mention too costly and tiring for the players. But the exhibition games are fun. I love those fans at the Japanese stadiums. 

[Karbo]

IMO, if they want to play regular season games in other countries they should stay in the Western Hemisphere. That's where the game is popular, and in most cases involve less travel. Think they would have a hard time getting players to go to Hawaii for a series?

[Whitey333]

Very nice article.  It is definitely though provoking.  I am not in favor of MLB regular season games being played overseas games.  Nor am I a fan of any of our pro leagues playing regular season games in other countries.  I understand the reason behind it in trying to generate more interest and money.  But it also takes some money from the teams that lose home games to this.  Yes I'm sure they are compensated for ticket sales.  But the people around the stadiums that rely on income generated from those games are short changed.  Let's not forget after all many of the stadiums in all major league sports were paid for in part by tax dollars.  Seeing Major League baseball or National Football and National hockey league in other venues is not the way to go.  Play in your park that was built for you .

[MinnInPa]

nope..keep it here..absolutely hate the NFL games in Europe...and i really cant see the players liking it. Americas game..keep it here

[DJL44]

Monterrey, Mexico is an attractive place to showcase the game. They should also try to go back to Montreal.

[TwinsDr2021]

2 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

Seeing Major League baseball or National Football and National hockey league in other venues is not the way to go.  Play in your park that was built for you .

💯this, it is almost like baseball is trying to upset the fans.

[bean5302]

Venezuela and Cuba are non-starters. With the political tension between the United States and those countries, it's not happening. The Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico really don't have stadiums/facilities fit for a regular season MLB game.

Costa Rica 3hrs or Peru 6hrs would be better destinations due to their location, wealth, stability, and with the facilities appropriate to host an MLB game.

Brazil could host one, but at 8-10hrs of flight time for the southern US teams, it's basically the same as Japan.

[mikelink45]

Politics matter and right now we have a few countries where we are seen positively and Russia is not fielding a team or filled with stadiums.  Internationally politics matter.  I am concerned for the Toronto Blue Jays and our relationship with Canada.  Monterrey might work, but will tariffs affect them and Canada?  The NHL, NBA and pro soccer have to be worried too.

Try to make the sport healthy in more than LA and NY first.

[bean5302]

39 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Politics matter and right now we have a few countries where we are seen positively and Russia is not fielding a team or filled with stadiums.  Internationally politics matter.  I am concerned for the Toronto Blue Jays and our relationship with Canada.  Monterrey might work, but will tariffs affect them and Canada?  The NHL, NBA and pro soccer have to be worried too.

Try to make the sport healthy in more than LA and NY first.

International politics matters when the US is openly hostile with things like long standing economic and political sanctions on the proposed venue country.

There's a difference between the view of the United States government diplomacy and businesses which operate in the United States.

[UK Twin]

As a UK based baseball fan, I've been to 3 London games since they started and they're great. No reason to believe they won't carry on - I believe the next series is scheduled for 2026. There is a huge NFL fanbase in the UK now with all the games over here and baseball is growing here as well now. 

Hopefully the Twins will play over here sometime - seen the Vikings play in London twice and loved it.

[h2oface]

I really don't care one way or another. I just HATE Opening Day to be in another country. NOT OPENING DAY!!! This is America's game. Opening Day game(s) should never be in another country. We grew the game, it is our tradition. It makes me puke that Opening Day has been in Japan the last two seasons. 

I get the desire to expand the audience and of course, increase the holy revenue. The fan base is dropping because it is too hard to watch the games of your favorite team anymore. In the 60s and 70s and even 80s, the teams were on TV for no fee. Now, with player greed and owner greed, the business monster charges more to make more to pay players more, all the while becoming more and more fan unfriendly. They make the fan pay excessively for parking, pay excessively for food, for merch, for TV access..... for anything they can figure out now to "tax" the fan for. If you want fans to dream of going to the ballpark, and kids to come and create new generations of fans, make it easier for them to become fans, make the access ubiquitous again. Sick uber fans like those that post on sites like this will always be fans, but we will be dying sooner than never and not replaced unless kids find the love, too.

Great for the game to become more international.

BUT OPENING DAY SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN THE USA!!

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, h2oface said:

I really don't care one way or another. I just HATE Opening Day to be in another country. NOT OPENING DAY!!! This is America's game. Opening Day game(s) should never be in another country. We grew the game, it is our tradition. It makes me puke that Opening Day has been in Japan the last two seasons. 

So, not a big Blue Jays fan?

[h2oface]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

So, not a big Blue Jays fan?

Well, not really a fan of the Blue Jays, per se, but if that is what you got from the post, I can't help you. Opening Day can include a home game for the Blue Jays, sure, as long as there are other games being played the same day. It used to be that all teams played on opening day, or at least almost all of them, unless there was a rain out or something. Having one game be the Opening Day game, the only game played, and it be somewhere other than a "home" park ......... I hate it.

[tony&rodney]

FWIW, the Reds hosted Opening Day for years with other teams playing on the same day. MLB is pretty messed up under manfred. Let's just keep North American leagues in North America. For those of you who want an American business in other countries, there is already McDonalds.