2026 MLB Mexico City Series: What to Know About 2-Game Set Between Padres and Diamondbacks

With 30 Major League Baseball teams playing a 162-game schedule, there are a total of 2,430 contests that will take place in the 2026 MLB season. However, just two of those will take place outside the United States or in Toronto, and they will be held in Mexico City this weekend. It is the 2026 Mexico City Series, which begins on Saturday between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. The two-game international slate will conclude on Sunday as MLB plays just its fifth and sixth regular-season games ever in the capital of Mexico.

The rare, two-day weekend series will take place at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, the home ballpark of the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican Baseball League. The Diamondbacks are the designated home team, and both squads will play in front of a much smaller-than-normal crowd. The ballpark has a capacity of around 20,000, compared to Arizona’s Chase Field, which holds more than 48,000 spectators.

The first pair of MLB games in Mexico City game in 2023, also involving the Padres, when they swept the San Francisco Giants in a two-game set. The Colorado Rockies then faced the Houston Astros in the 2024 edition of the MLB Mexico City Series, with the Astros taking both contests.

All four previous games were high-scoring affairs with at least 10 total runs in each. The four averaged 15.8 combined runs, and the elevation of Mexico City could have much to do with that. Baseball fans are well aware of the high elevation at Coors Field, home of the Rockies, but Mexico City is roughly 2,000 feet higher in elevation than even Denver is. Thus, the ultra-thin air allows for batted balls to travel at will, leading to lots of runs on the scoreboard.

These will be the 38th and 39th MLB regular-season games outside of the United States or Canada. The first dates back to 1996 with a series in Monterrey, Mexico, as the country will have hosted 17 MLB games after the weekend. Other international locations that have seen games include Tokyo, Japan (12 games), London, England (six), Seoul, South Korea (two), and Sydney, Australia (two). Major League Baseball has also played six games in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States.

As for what the Mexican fans can expect on the diamond, they’ll see one of baseball’s best teams in the Padres. Their 17-8 record has them atop the NL West and is the second-best record in all of MLB. San Diego enters into the 2026 Mexico City Series with a sizzling 12-2 record over its last 14 games, and the Padres have won each of their last six series.

The Diamondbacks are off to a nice start as well, though their 14-11 record has them third in the NL West. Arizona had either won or tied six straight series before dropping two of three to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Both Arizona and San Diego have off days on Friday.

Saturday’s matchup has probable starters in German Marquez (2-1, 3.86 ERA) for San Diego and Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.51 ERA) for Arizona. Both RHPs are former All-Stars and will be well-rested, with each having a week off from their last starts. On Sunday, Michael King (3-1, 2.28 ERA) of the Padres will take the mound, countered by Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.97 ERA) of the DBacks. King has wins in each of his last three starts, while Nelson is hoping the Mexico City Series makes him forget his last start. He was shelled for 8 ER in the first inning while recording just one out as his ERA jumped from 3.54 to 6.97.

There have been 10 Mexican-born players to appear in the Major Leagues this season, and more than 150 players from Mexico in MLB history. However, the Mexico City Series 2026 will be devoid of any such players, as neither roster has a Mexican-born player. Still, these two squads weren’t randomly chosen, as they represent cities with large populations of Mexican Americans.

These will be the first two of 13 meetings between the Padres and Diamondbacks this season, with the rest coming at their home ballparks. Arizona holds the slight edge in the all-time series with 247 wins versus 233 losses. However, the Padres won last year’s season series, with an 8-5 record.

American sports fans should get well acquainted with watching games in Mexico City over the next few months, as MLB is simply the first of the three most popular American sports leagues that will visit Mexico City. The NBA will make the next voyage to Mexico City when a regular-season game between the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers takes place at Mexico City Arena on Nov. 7. Then the NFL will visit the most populous city in North America in December as the San Francisco 49ers will face an opponent that has yet to be announced at Estadio Azteca.

Game 1 of the Mexico City Series 2026 has a first pitch of 6:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Game 2 on Sunday has a 4:05 p.m. ET start time, and both matchups will be broadcast on MLB.tv.