Mexico City to host MLB series for first time ever in 2023
MEXICO CITY (BVM) – For the first time in its over 100-year history, MLB will play games in Mexico City. On Aug. 31, the league announced the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants will meet in a two-game series during the 2023 season.
“The Padres are excited to return to Mexico and play in the first regular-season series in Mexico City in MLB history,” Padres CEO Erik Greupner said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have a loyal and passionate fan base in Mexico, and it will be an honor to showcase our team in Mexico’s capital city.”
“It will be an honor to represent Major League Baseball, as well as San Francisco, at historic Mexico City for the first time ever,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing the Giants and Padres rivalry to a passionate sports fanbase, and it will be a great opportunity to introduce the Giants to an international audience to further develop new fans across all of Mexico.”
History will be made! For the first time MLB will play a regular season series in Mexico City.
See you in April 2023. #MexicoSeries #YoAmoElBeis pic.twitter.com/aVn5g5ydnp
— MLB (@MLB) August 31, 2022
The series will be held in Mexico City’s Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 29 and 30. The games will be considered Padres home games, which is fitting considering the host site was built by and named after Padres minority owner Alfredo Harp Helú. Typically, the stadium hosts the Diablos Rojos del Mexico, a professional baseball team in the Mexico League.
¡Se hará historia! Por primera vez la Ciudad de México recibe una serie de temporada regular. Nos vemos la próxima primavera en el Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú. MLB World Tour Mexico City Series.#MexicoSeries #YoAmoElBeis pic.twitter.com/tqnGagmPna
— MLB México (@MLB_Mexico) August 31, 2022
While this may be the first time Major League Baseball has made its way to Mexico City, it is far from the first time the Friars have played in the country south of the border. The 2023 Mexico City Series will mark the fourth time the Padres have played in Mexico, with three other series being played in Monterrey between 1996 and 2018. San Diego has gone 2-1 in those previous matchups.
¡México Lindo y Querido, nos vemos en abril! 🇲🇽
Mexico City, we’ll see you in April! pic.twitter.com/r2MKZmjMeR
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 31, 2022
On the other hand, the Giants will make their first trip not only to Mexico, but it will also be their first international series (not including against the Canadian franchises). While San Francisco may not have experience in many games outside of the United States, expect the unit, which has been a top team over the past few seasons, to travel well.
The #SFGiants and @MLB are heading to Mexico City!
Next season, the Giants will take on the Padres in two regular season games on April 29 and 30 at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium. #MexicoSeries
🔗 https://t.co/FfVE6asiQQ pic.twitter.com/gAGIDMn3Ta
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 31, 2022
Though the 2023 contests will mark the first time MLB has played in the Mexican capital city, the historic event is actually happening later than originally anticipated. The Padres were previously set to play a series in Mexico City against the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2020, but it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time.
The new series will however bring one of the more competitive rivalries in the league to the country. This season, the Padres have held the Giants in check going 11-5 against the NL West foe. However, the record was practically revered a year ago as San Francisco went 11-8 against San Diego during the 2021 campaign.
With recent playoff teams heading to Mexico City, the MLB fanbase in the country will be in for a special treat. Given the success of previous series outside of the U.S., expect the Mexican capital to become another regular stop for the league in the years to come.
Photo: On Aug. 31, MLB announced it would play its first-ever series in Mexico City when the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres face off in April 2023. (Credit: Sergio Estrada/USA TODAY Sports)