Mets’ Opening Day opponents, sites through the years

Some various facts about the Mets’ Opening Day opponents through the years…

• Game 1 of the 2025 season marked the first time the Mets played the Astros on Opening Day (as well as the first time they opened in Houston, obviously).
• The 2023 opener in Miami was the first against the Marlins (and in South Florida) since 2011.
• After New York, the cities in which the Mets have opened a season most frequently are Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia — four times. The last time they opened at Wrigley Field was in 1994. Cincinnati (last in 2009) and St. Louis (2007) are next with three each.
• The longest streak of opening a season either at home or on the road is three years, and 2023 was their third straight year opening on the road.
• Until 2021, the Mets had never opened a season at Citizens Bank Park and hadn’t opened in Philadelphia since 1982. It was also their first Opening Day against the Phillies since 1998.
• The Diamondbacks are the only National League team the Mets have never faced on Opening Day, and they’ve only opened against the Brewers, Dodgers and Giants once. In 2025, Houston joined Kansas City as the only American League Opening Day opponent, both on the road.
• In 2015 and ’16, the Mets opened in Washington and Kansas City, the first time they’ve opened a season in either city.
• Those two straight seasons opening on the road came after hosting Opening Day for three years in a row. The Mets have opened in New York 32 times and on the road 32 times in their 64 seasons.
• The Mets last spent Opening Day in Atlanta in 2004, in Denver in 1995, in Pittsburgh in 1986, in San Diego in 1997, and in San Francisco in 1968. They opened the 2000 season in Tokyo, which I’m not counting as a home game even though it was credited as such for the Mets. They have never opened in Milwaukee (only in the NL since 1998), Phoenix (only in baseball since 1998) or, curiously, Los Angeles.

As far as individual players …

• David Wright‘s streak of 12 Opening Day starts set a new Mets record in 2016, but it came to an end when he opened 2017 on the injured list while trying to rebuild strength in his throwing shoulder. The previous mark was shared by Tom Seaver and Bud Harrelson. Wright started all 12 consecutively, passing Harrelson’s mark of 11 in a row.
• Pete Alonso has the longest active streak, with seven consecutive starts. His seven overall broke a tie with Keith Hernandez and Ed Kranepool for the most at first base. Jeff McNeil had his streak of consecutive Opening Day starts snapped in ’25 while he was recovering from injury.
• Johan Santana (2008-10, 2012) and Tom Glavine (2003-04, 2006-07) share the most Opening Day starts by a left-handed pitcher in Mets history.
• Records by position … SP: Seaver (11), C: Jerry Grote (9), 1B: Alonso (7), 2B: Felix Millan (5): 3B: Wright (12), SS: Harrelson (11), LF: Cleon Jones and Kevin McReynolds (6 each), CF: Mookie Wilson (6), RF: Darryl Strawberry (7).