5 Foreign Cities That Should Host MLB Games

When the Yankees and Red Sox get started from London Stadium in Stratford on Saturday and Sunday, London will become the fifth city in the world, Toronto and Montreal excluded, outside of the US to host a Major League Baseball game. The MLB has hosted regular season games in San Juan, Monterrey, Sydney, and Tokyo, which has helped grow the game internationally. These five cities should be next up if the league wants to continue getting bigger around the world.

5. Johannesburg, South Africa

Both the NFL and NBA, the latter of which is planning an entire league in the continent, have been investing heavily in expanding their games in Africa. Following the debut of Gift Ngoepe, the first African player to make the major leagues, it's clear there is at least some interest in the game. The MLB should consider a game in Johannesburg or Cape Town to try to kickstart baseball's presence in Africa.

4. Berlin, Germany

Baseball shouldn't stop their European tour in London. While large cities like Madrid and Rome could work as possible alternatives, interest in the game seems greater in Germany, as 42 German-born players have played in the MLB, including Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler. If the London experiment goes over well, the league should really consider picking another city in Europe to play some games in. They could even send the Twins over there.

3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

While Latin America has been a reliable source of MLB interest and talent over the last few decades, South America has been much less well-represented. However, baseball is the new fad in Brazil, with four players in the MLB right now hailing from Brazil and many more on the way. With Rio and Sao Paulo featuring plenty of stadiums capable of hosting a baseball game or two, Rob Manfred making the foray into South America is a matter of when, not if.

2. Seoul, South Korea

Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan might be the best league in the world outside of the MLB, and the exhibition games at the Tokyo Dome drew tremendous crows. With interest in baseball in China dwindling, South Korea has really taken to it, with the KBO emerging as an extremely reputable league that has sent over several quality players. Seoul is primed and ready to get an MLB game and keep the excitement for the game in South Korea at a fever pitch.

1. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

When the MLB dumped the Montreal Expos in San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 2003 season, they managed to draw more people than the Expos did in Montreal. Latin America, and the Caribbean in particular, should be considered not only for a few regular season games, but potentially for a team to play there full-time given how strong interest in the game is over there. Given how much the Dominican Republic has poured into the MLB, they should be rewarded with a few games here and there.