Mets and Marlins to Face Off in Puerto Rico in 2020

The New York Mets and Miami Marlins will face off in the Caribbean in 2020.

The two teams will face off in a three-game series in San Juan, Puerto Rico from April 28 to 30 next year, the Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced Monday.

The upcoming games will mark the fourth trip to the island for each of the teams. The two previously played a three-game series in Puerto Rico in 2010 and both played at Hiram Bithorn during the Montreal Expos’ partial residency in 2003 and 2004.

The three-game set will serve as home games for the Marlins, according to MLB and MLBPA officials.

Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said in a statement that “Puerto Rico has a rich baseball history and passionate baseball fans.”

“We are honored to represent the Mets, and Major League Baseball, and are looking forward to returning to Puerto Rico to play the Marlins in 2020,” Wilpon’s statement continued.

Meanwhile, Derek Jeter, who serves as the Miami Marlins Chief Executive Officer, said it was “an honor” to plkay the special series against the Met.

“Miami serves as the gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America, and we are grateful for the chance to showcase the new Miami Marlins organization to our neighbors in Puerto Rico,” Jeter said in a statement. “We are looking forward to the opportunity of celebrating Puerto Rico’s rich baseball heritage and passion for the game and continue our mission to grow the game of baseball in our community while fostering the shared love for our National Pastime.”

Puerto Rico has seen a number of MLB games in recent years.

In 2018, the MLB last held regular season games on the island when the Minnesota Twins hosted the Cleveland Indians for a two-game series, the MLB and MLBPA say. Additionally, the Hiram Bithorn Stadium was home to the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays for the 2001 season opener, and for a total of 43 games for the Montreal Expos during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

San Juan also hosted the first and second rounds of the 2006 World Baseball Classic, as well as the the first rounds of the 2009 and 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Over the years, the Mets participated in several global games, including the first-ever MLB regular season games played internationally in Monterrey, Mexico in 1996 against the San Diego Padres, and the first-ever regular season games played outside of North America for the season opener in 2000 in Tokyo, Japan against the Chicago Cubs.