The Philadelphia Phillies have some new lumber for the London Series this weekend against the New York Mets.
According to Greg Giesen of the Delaware News Journal, Victus Sports designed several custom bats for the Phillies to use in this series, including designs that incorporate the Phillie Phanatic and staples of London — most notably the iconic red telephone boxes.
Victus, located in King of Prussia and owned by Mariucci, produces bats for teams across Major League Baseball. Their bats are used by 23 percent of players including Fernando Tatis Jr, George Springer, Gary Sánchez and Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper.
Phillies' London Series bats are even cooler than you can imagine
It has been reported that Harper is among the Phillies who will use the new custom bats during the two-game set, which will take place at London Stadium, home of the Premier League soccer team West Ham United.
Other designs produced by Victus that will make the trip include bats with the American and British flags and two bats with the words “London” decorated in Phillies-themed colors. The Phillies have not specified which bats will be used by which player, but as reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia's Brooke Destra, the Phanatic bat is Harper's. It makes sense, as Harper has appeared in multiple promotional videos with the mascot and already has an abundance of Phanatic-themed gear.
This isn't the first time Victus has worked with the Phillies. They designed the famous pencil bat used by Bryson Stott in the 2023 MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport.
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍🇬🇧🇬🇧#𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍 #𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 #𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐘 #𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 pic.twitter.com/UDgLWeKCzw
— Victus Sports (@VictusSports) June 5, 2024
Playing overseas is a new experience for the Phillies
This will be the first time the Phillies are playing across the pond and the third time ever that MLB has coordinated the London Series.
Initially planned as a two-year arrangement, the series has been extended with games renewed through 2026. There is potential for more games as MLB looks to continue to expand internationally. The first game took place in 2019 between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, while the second installment was last year between the St Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.
With the rivalries a theme throughout the series so far, it makes perfect sense for the Phillies and Mets to make the trip in 2024.
The bitter NL East rivals have played a total of 1,071 times, dating back to 1962, when the Mets were founded. The Phillies lead the series 551-520, good enough for a .514 winning percentage.
Ranger Suarez is scheduled to take the mound in Game 1 on Saturday while Taijuan Walker will start Game 2 of the series. Saturday’s game will start at 1:10 p.m. ET (6:10 p.m. BST), while Sunday’s game will begin at 10:10 a.m. ET (3:10 p.m. BST).