Major League Baseball announced the return of its popular Field of Dreams game for 2026, marking the first time in four years that America’s pastime will return to the iconic Iowa cornfields that captured the nation’s imagination.
The Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies will travel to Dyersville, Iowa in 2026, with Minnesota serving as the home team. MLB has yet to announce the exact day of the game, but the Phillies and Twins are scheduled to play a three-game series from Aug. 14-16. It will likely be on the 16th, which falls on a Sunday.
The game will take place at the baseball diamond constructed adjacent to the original filming location of the beloved 1989 movie “Field of Dreams,” starring Kevin Costner. The inaugural MLB at Field of Dreams game featured the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees on August 12, 2021, marking the first Major League game ever held at the site. The last game played was played on August 11, 2022, featuring the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, with the Cubs winning 4-2. After this game, MLB paused the event due to major construction and upgrades for the site. These upgrades included a permanent stadium and a youth sports complex in the surrounding area.
In the meantime while the construction was happening, MLB introduced the Rickwood Field Game in 2024, as a special annual showcase to celebrate the Negro Leagues and honor baseball’s deep history. Rickwood Field, located in Birmingham, Alabama, is the oldest professional baseball stadium in the country, opening 115 years ago in 1910. While the MLB did not officially call Rickwood a “replacement,” it served a similar role to the Field of Dreams game. Keaton Winn, a member of the San Francisco Giants organization and also a graduate from Pekin, was the starting pitcher when they played against the St. Louis Cardinals back in 2024.
The event is expected to draw thousands of visitors to rural Iowa, providing a significant economic boost to the region. The Field of Dreams game has become one of baseball’s most unique and marketable events, combining nostalgia, spectacular visuals, and high-level competition in a setting unlike any other venue in professional sports. The announcement ensures that the famous phrase “If you build it, they will come” remains as relevant today as it was over three decades ago, proving that some stories truly are timeless.
