LA Dodgers and MVP Ohtani launch summer of live baseball on BBC
The Los Angeles Dodgers will face the New York Mets on Sunday to begin the BBC’s summer coverage of live Major League Baseball. The match starts a run of 10 consecutive Sunday-night games, followed by four post-season broadcasts, giving UK audiences regular access to the sport during the latter part of the 2026 season.
The defending champions lead the National League behind Shohei Ohtani, who has 22 home runs and eight pitching wins this year as the Dodgers pursue a third straight World Series. The Mets are bottom of the National League East at 43-60 despite Juan Soto’s 21 home runs; Soto signed a record $765m contract with the club in 2024.
- Dodgers v Mets opens BBC’s live MLB summer coverage.
- Ohtani leads champions chasing a third consecutive title.
- Mets need a late-season revival despite Soto’s form.
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Major League Baseball is the professional baseball league in America, where teams compete throughout spring and summer. The BBC is starting to broadcast live games from the league this year, marking the start of the channel's coverage of the sport.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are defending champions and one of baseball's most successful franchises. The team's star player is Shohei Ohtani, a rare talent who excels at both hitting home runs and pitching, making him one of the sport's biggest draws.
Their opponents on Sunday, the New York Mets, are struggling this season and currently bottom of their division. The Mets signed superstar hitter Juan Soto to a record contract worth $765 million in 2024, but the team has underperformed despite Soto's individual accomplishments.