For the first time since 2019, MLB returns to London Saturday and Sunday as the St. Louis Cardinals take on the Chicago Cubs in a weekend series at London Stadium, home of West Ham United.
The last time London Stadium hosted a series, it was the Yankees and the Red Sox in an absolute slugfest. That two-game set saw the two teams put up 50 runs between them, with the Yankees sweeping 17-13 and 12-8.
Perhaps this time around pitching is able to deter some of that ridiculous scoring. London Stadium is going to look slightly different, with dead center being pushed back to 392 feet (385 in 2019) and the left- and right-field alleys being pushed back to 387 feet from 382.
This series marks the second set of international games MLB has played this season. The Padres and Giants played a two-game set at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City in April, and Cubs-Cardinals will round out MLB's World Tour for 2023.
MORE: Watch the Cubs vs. Cardinals London series live on Fubo (free trial)
Here is what to know about MLB World Tour and the Cubs vs. Cardinals matchup this weekend.
Why is Cubs vs. Cardinals being played in London?
When talking about what teams to send to play internationally, old-blood division rivals tend to be high in the conversation.
Red Sox vs. Yankees was a marquee matchup in 2019, and similarly, Cubs vs. Cardinals is matchup-proof. The teams' popularity will be independent of how good they are (a good thing, really, given both are struggling in the NL Central).
These two teams first met in 1892 as the Colts and the Browns, and despite their struggles this year, expect London Stadium to be decked out in the aesthetically pleasing red and blue for the weekend.
How to build a ballpark #LondonSeries | @mlb | @LondonStadium pic.twitter.com/JXLAvuUS6k
— MLB Europe (@MLBEurope) June 22, 2023
“The MLB London Series between the Cubs and Cardinals has been in the works for years now and we’re thrilled to finally be able to bring one of baseball’s biggest rivalries to fans abroad in 2023,” Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in 2022 in a press release. “We hope that this series not only excites and entertains but brings more international sports fans to the game we all love.”
“The Cardinals are excited and honored to be a part of the London Series next year. The Cardinals-Cubs rivalry is one of the best in sports, and it will be exciting to bring it to Europe for a new audience to experience,” said Cardinal CEO William DeWitt Jr. “I have no doubt that the passionate sports fans in London will love these games and we look forward to creating some new Cardinals fans overseas.”
FAGAN: Surging Cubs, Cardinals hoping to use London Series as springboard
Why was Cubs vs. Cardinals rescheduled from 2020?
Cubs vs. Cardinals was meant to be played the year after Red Sox vs. Yankees in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans for baseball, and the series had to be postponed.
Other series meant to be played as part of the World Tour in 2020 included Padres vs. Diamondbacks in Mexico City and Marlins vs. Mets in Puerto Rico. MLB's World Tour was then put on hold until this season, when it recommenced with Padres vs. Giants in Mexico City.
MLB games in London
Although MLB played many exhibition games in London, the 2019 matchups between the Yankees and Red Sox were the first regular season games to be played there. Fans at those games were treated to 10 home runs and 50 runs scored over the course of two games. Both were at nearly 60,000 fans in London Stadium, just shy of capacity.
| Date | Game | Attendance |
| June 29, 2019 | New York Yankees 17, Boston Red Sox 13 | 59,659 |
| June 30, 2019 | New York Yankees 12, Boston Red Sox 8 | 59,059 |
| June 24, 2023 | Chicago Cubs 9, St. Louis Cardinals 1 | 54,662 |
What is the MLB World Tour?
MLB World Tour is a program meant to bring baseball to different countries in an attempt to expand fanbases beyond their United States market.
The program is to develop a slate of games -- as many as 24 -- to be played in Asia, Latin America, and Europe through 2026. In addition to those regular-season games, up to 16 exhibition games are also in the mix. While quadrennial meetings in the Tokyo Dome have occurred since 2000, Japan's appetite for baseball was already well-established. The idea of this new program was to bring the league to countries less traditionally associated with the sport.
The 2014 meetings between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia weren't part of the MLB World Tour -- that was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the last game played in Australia -- but the meetings since have been.
Here's a look at the MLB World Tour games that have been played and scheduled to date.
| Year | Matchup | Venue | City, Country | Result |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Dodgers 4, Padres 0 |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Padres 7, Dodgers 4 |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Padres 3, Dodgers 0 |
| 2019 | Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics | Tokyo Dome | Tokyo, Japan | Mariners 9, Athletics 7 |
| 2019 | Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics | Tokyo Dome | Tokyo, Japan | Mariners 5, Athletics 4 (12 innings) |
| 2019 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Reds 5, Cardinals 0 |
| 2019 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cincinnati Reds | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Cardinals 9, Reds 5 |
| 2019 | Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Astros 14, Angels 2 |
| 2019 | Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | Monterrey, Mexico | Astros 10, Angels 4 |
| 2019 | Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | Yankees 17, Red Sox 13 |
| 2019 | Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | Yankees 12, Red Sox 8 |
| 2023 | San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu | Mexico City, Mexico | Padres 16, Giants 11 |
| 2023 | San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu | Mexico City, Mexico | Padres 6, Giants 4 |
| 2023 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | Cubs 9, Cardinals 1 |
| 2023 | St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | TBD |
| 2024 | New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | TBD |
| 2024 | New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies | London Stadium | London, United Kingdom | TBD |
While Cardinals-Cubs will wrap up the international series for 2023, MLB announced the Mets and Phillies will make the trip across the pond for a two-game series in June 2024. Another London series is set for 2026 as well.
MLB has also been working to bring games to Korea, beginning with a planned Korea Series in 2022, but the series was ultimately canceled because of a contractual problem.
