Sure, this hasn't exactly been the start to 2025 that New York Mets fans envisioned after Steve Cohen and David Stearns put the finishing touches on the most significant offseason in franchise history — from poaching Juan Soto from the rival New York Yankees to convincing first baseman Pete Alonso to come back for at least one more season. The Mets sit at 3-3 after the season's first week, barely eking out a series win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
But if you think any of that is enough to take the wind out of Mets fans' sails just yet, well, think again. After a week on the road, New York is finally set to make its 2025 Citi Field debut on Friday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays, and Soto's first game in Queens has half the city buzzing. Thankfully, they won't have to wait too long to see his first at-bat.
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Mets starting lineup for home opener vs. Blue Jays
Carlos Mendoza has announced his team's lineup, and unsurprisingly, Soto is right in the thick of it, hitting second and sandwiched between Francisco Lindor and Alonso.
Player | Position |
|---|---|
Francisco Lindor | SS |
Juan Soto | RF |
Pete Alonso | 1B |
Brandon Nimmo | LF |
Starling Marte | DH |
Mark Vientos | 3B |
Luis Torrens | C |
Luisangel Acuña | 2B |
Jose Siri | CF |
Soto and Alonso have been as advertised so far this year, but beyond that the team's offense has taken a little while to get warmed up thanks to slow starts and injuries to names like Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez. Lindor and Vientos, in particular, need to get it going, while Acuña and Torrens do their best to fill the gap until McNeil and Alvarez return.
With Kevin Gausman and his reverse splits on the mound, the Mets are going with a righty-heavy lineup, with Starling Marte at DH and Jose Siri getting a start in center field. This would be one heck of a time for the team start swinging some hotter bats; then again, Soto is more than good enough to carry a team by himself, and we know he loves a big stage.