The New York Mets had themselves a hell of a season in 2024. Left for dead when they were 11 games under .500 in late May, Carlos Mendoza's team engineered an unbelievable turnaround that saw them clinch a postseason berth in Atlanta the day after the regular season was supposed to end, then carry that momentum through the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies before finally falling to the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.
As excited as Mets fans were to go on that Grimace- and OMG-fueled run, this offseason only ramped up the hysteria in Queens after owner Steve Cohen was finally able to land his white whale in free agency. That's right, Juan Soto left the Yankees to come to the Mets, and his arrival brings with it the expectation that last year's success will now be the norm, not the exception.
Pete Alonso is also back after a long period of uncertainty, which means that it truly is go time at Citi Field. Opening Day is just a day away, so it's time to get this party started.
There are always surprises every season, but at first glance, the April schedule looks pretty manageable for the Mets. Six games against the Marlins and three against the A's in the first three weeks will do that, but there are some major hurdles to clear if the Amazins hope to get off to a hot start.
Today we're looking at three series that will provide the toughest early tests for the Mets. Let's begin at the beginning.
Opening series at the Houston Astros (March 27-29)
The Mets open the season with an interleague series against the defending A.L. West champ Houston Astros. Last year was a bit of a down year for Joe Espada's club, as the Stros "only" went 88-73 before being swept out of the A.L. Wild Card series by the upstart Detroit Tigers.
Even in a down year, Houston still won the division, but it will be interesting to see if they can do it for the fifth time in a row this year. Kyle Tucker is gone after being traded to the Chicago Cubs. Alex Bregman, one of the cornerstones of their run this past decade, signed with the Boston Red Sox. It's not all bad news though, as Isaac Paredes is now manning third base, and Christian Walker was signed to replace Tucker's power with his 95 homers in the last three years.
Framber Valdez is still an ace, Josh Hader is still one of the best closers in the game, and Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve (now playing left field) are still there to make this a formidable lineup. Highly-touted prospect Cam Smith also made the Opening Day roster, though it remains to be seen whether the Mets will get to see him in action.
A road series against a defending division winner is always a tough assignment to start the season, so the Mets better bring it.
Home opener versus the Toronto Blue Jays (April 4-6)
Of all the divisions in baseball, the A.L. East may be the one with the most varied opinions on which teams will do well. Every one of the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays are capable of making the playoffs, and though Toronto doesn't tend to be thought of as highly by most, they're still plenty dangerous.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in a contract year, and he'll have protection in the lineup from new arrival Anthony Santander, who was quietly one of the most dependable power hitters in the game last year as he bashed 44 homers and drove in 102 runs for the Orioles.
Former Mets Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are slated to get a start in this series, and seeing them in action could very well remind the Mets that their own starting pitching is already in trouble to start the season. Sean Manaea was put on the shelf with a strained oblique that he suffered in the spring, while free agent signee Frankie Montas has a lat strain that will keep him out until late May at the earliest. Luis Severino is gone to Oakland on a shockingly lucrative deal.
Former Yankee Clay Holmes has looked great since being converted to a starter, but neither he nor Kodai Senga will pitch in this series. Instead, it will be up to Tylor Megill, David Peterson and Griffin Canning to get it done. Canning had a 5.19 ERA for the Angels last year, and though Peterson has elevated his game to be more than dependable, Megill's tenure with the Mets has been a roller coaster ride, to say the least.
These three games could end up being a slugfest. Let's see if Soto can help carry the Mets to a series win against one of the teams that lost out on him this winter.
Home versus the Philadelphia Phillies (April 21-23)
Every game against the Phillies and Braves is going to be a war this year. The Mets will have to wait a bit to duke it out with their top division rivals though, as they won't face either team until more than three weeks into the season.
The Phillies come to town in late April, and they'll have revenge on their mind after Francisco Lindor ended their season with a grand slam in Game 4 of the Division Series in October. Lindor has typically been a slow starter, with his lowest average and power numbers occurring in April throughout his career. He'll need to change that to beat Philly's Major League-best rotation, which includes Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez and new addition Jesus Luzardo.
The Phils still have one of the most potent lineups in the league too, anchored by Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner. That's why despite adding Soto and bringing Alonso back, the Mets are still underdogs in the division. This will be their first big chance to show that last year's playoff run wasn't an aberration.