London calling: Phillies, Bryce Harper heading overseas to play NL East rival Mets in 2024
Perhaps by this time next year, Bryce Harper will be back in right field saluting fans as he did his first few seasons in Philadelphia, before elbow issues turned him into a designated hitter and a soon-to-be first baseman.
And if that's the case, Harper will be saluting them in London Stadium, and potentially bashing home runs with Mets star Pete Alonso. That's because major league baseball commissioner Rob Manfred announced Friday morning that the Phillies and NL East rival New York Mets will play a two-game series in London on June 8-9.
Interestingly enough, the two teams are providing a sort-of preview this weekend in Philadelphia as they're beginning a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
"Major League Baseball has done an excellent job of expanding its footprint internationally and we are honored to play a role in that effort as part of the 2024 London Series," Phillies managing partner and CEO John Middleton said in a statement. "This will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase our players’ talents and highlight the excitement that comes with a Phillies-Mets matchup for our fans in the UK and for those who have never attended a baseball game."
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It will be the Phillies' first games overseas as part of MLB's plan to expand its international footprint that began in 1996 in Mexico. The Phillies-Mets series in London will mark the third series played there. The Red Sox and Yankees played there in 2019, and the Cubs and Cardinals are playing there this weekend.
London fans got a taste of Philadelphia fans in 2018 when the Eagles played the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eagles fans jammed the city's pubs, tourist sites and vastly outnumbered Jaguars fans in the game held at London's Wembley Stadium.
MLB plans to have up to 24 regular season games and 16 exhibition games played in Asia, Mexico, Latin America and Europe through the 2026 season.
It will be the Mets' fourth international series. They played in the 1996 series in Mexico, the 2000 series in Japan and a 2010 series in Puerto Rico.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies heading to London in 2024 to face New York Mets in MLB series
