The 2026 MLB Mexico City Series: Everything You Need To Know
MLB World Tour is coming back to Mexico City later this month. Here's every detail you'll want to know about the upcoming series.
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Major League Baseball is coming back to Mexico City!
Six years ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres were scheduled to play the first-ever MLB series in Mexico’s capital. Unfortunately, a lot more than just international games were cancelled in 2020.
Three years later, the first Mexico City Series actually took place, between the Padres and San Francisco Giants. The following season, it was the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies who faced off in the high-altitude environment of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú (yes, significantly higher than Coors Field).
Plans for a third Mexico City Series in 2025 were scrapped, along with a proposition for a series in San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, commissioner Rob Manfred expressed optimism about returning to Mexico City and San Juan in 2026. While there don’t seem to be plans for games in Puerto Rico (or any other destinations), Mexico City will indeed host another MLB series in 2026.
What’s more, this year’s event will feature the two teams originally scheduled to kick off the Mexico City Series back in 2020: the Padres and Diamondbacks.
With the two-game series coming up later this month, Just Baseball has a detailed breakdown of everything you need to know before the Snakes take on the Friars south of the border.
Mexico City Series History
Mexico was the first country, aside from the US and Canada, to host a Major League Baseball game, when the Padres played the New York Mets in Monterrey thirty years ago. MLB returned to Monterrey in 1999 and again in 2018 and ’19, but it wasn’t until 2023, when the league introduced the “MLB World Tour” branding, that Mexico City played host for a regular season matchup.
The Padres were the designated hosts in 2023, and for good reason. In addition to their obvious geographic proximity, no team had (or has since) played more games in Mexico than the Padres. This year’s series will mark their 10th and 11th regular season games in the country.
Whether “home-field” advantage had anything to do with it or not, the Padres swept the Giants, winning 16-11 and 6-4. The two teams combined for 15 home runs and 28 extra-base hits in the series, demonstrating the previously untold extent of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú’s hitter-friendliness.
The altitude in Mexico City is roughly 7,350 feet above sea level. For context, the altitude in Denver is about 5,280 feet. Meanwhile, the only other MLB stadiums at an altitude above 1,000 feet (per Baseball Savant) are Phoenix’s Chase Field and Atlanta’s Truist Park.
The Astros kept the high-altitude party going in 2024, even if the Rockies couldn’t join in on the offensive fun. Houston swept Colorado, taking the first game 12-4 and the second 8-2.
So, will the 2026 Mexico City Series be another high-scoring affair? And will it keep the streak alive with another sweep? We’ll find out soon enough.
Who Is Playing in the 2026 Mexico City Series?
Later this month, the Padres will return to familiar grounds, while the Diamondbacks will play their first official games in Mexico. (Arizona has, however, played numerous spring training exhibitions in Hermosillo and Monterrey.)
Back in 2014, the D-backs played in MLB’s first (and so far only) series in Australia, losing two games to the Dodgers at Sydney Cricket Ground. This will be their first regular season international contest since.
The San Diego-Arizona pairing should make for a competitive series. While the Dodgers are the heavy favorites in the NL West, the Padres and D-backs are looking like quite evenly-matched Wild Card contenders so far in 2026.
This year, the Padres are the designated visitors, while the Diamondbacks are technically the “home” team for the series.
When Is the 2026 Mexico City Series?
Both teams have a travel day on Friday, April 24. Then, the series kicks off on Saturday, April 25 at 4:05 pm local time, which is 3:05 pm for fans in California and Arizona. The getaway game on Sunday, April 26 starts at 2:05 pm local time (1:05 pm in California and Arizona).
While the Diamondbacks have an off day on Monday, the Padres have to get home to start a series against the Cubs on April 27.
| Game | Date | Location | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Padres @ Diamondbacks | April 25, 2024 | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú | 4:05 p.m CST / 3:05 p.m. PDT/MST |
| Padres @ Diamondbacks | April 26, 2024 | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú | 2:05 p.m CST / 1:05 p.m. PDT/MST |
As usual, both games will be played in Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, home of the Diablos Rojos del México. The most dominant team in Mexican League history, the Diablos Rojos are the reigning Serie del Rey champions.
How To Watch the MLB Mexico City Series
The games will stream on Padres.TV and Diamondbacks.TV, as well as MLB.TV for out-of-market viewers. The first game of the series will also air nationally on MLB Network, with blackouts in home markets.
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Written by
Leo Morgenstern is one of the managing editors for Just Baseball. He is also the managing editor at Jays Centre. His writing has appeared all over…