Some various facts about the Mets’ Opening Day opponents through the years…
- After opening against the Nationals in 2019, the Mets were scheduled to do so again in 2020 before the season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic (they opened against the Braves instead). The 2021 schedule also saw them slated to begin the season in Washington, until that entire opening series was postponed because of a COVID outbreak on the Nationals.
- As a result, the Mets’ second scheduled series of ’21 became their opening series, and so they began a season against the Phillies for the ninth time. Philadelphia is now tied with Washington/Montreal as New York’s most frequent Opening Day opponent. St. Louis is second at eight.
- 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.
- Among National League teams, the Mets have never opened against the Diamondbacks or Brewers, and they’ve only opened against the Dodgers and Giants once.
- 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 31 times and on the road 29 times in their 60 seasons.
- After New York, Chicago and Philadelphia are the cities in which the Mets have opened a season most frequently — four times. The last time they opened at Wrigley Field was in 1994. Cincinnati (last in 2009), Miami (2011), and St. Louis (2007) are next with three each.
- 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.
- The longest streak of opening a season either at home or on the road is three years.
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 disabled 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.
- Brandon Nimmo has the longest active streak, with four consecutive starts.
- Jacob deGrom has started the last three Opening Days, the first pitcher to do that since Johan Santana from 2008-10.
- 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.
- Michael Conforto (2016) and Yoenis Cespedes (2020) are the only Mets to start at designated hitter on Opening Day.
- Records by position … SP: Seaver (11), C: Jerry Grote (9), 1B: Keith Hernandez (6), 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).
Mets Opening Day Opponents
| Year | Opp. | Ballpark | Home or Away | OD vs. Opp. | In City | In City vs. Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | STL | Busch Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1963 | STL | Polo Grounds | Home | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964 | PHI | Connie Mack Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965 | LAD | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 1966 | ATL | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1967 | PIT | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 1968 | SF | Candlestick Park | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1969 | MON | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 1970 | PIT | Forbes Field | Away | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1971 | MON | Shea Stadium | Home | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 1972 | PIT | Shea Stadium | Home | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| 1973 | PHI | Shea Stadium | Home | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 1974 | PHI | Veterans Stadium | Away | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 1975 | PHI | Shea Stadium | Home | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| 1976 | MON | Shea Stadium | Home | 3 | 10 | 3 |
| 1977 | CHC | Wrigley Field | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1978 | MON | Shea Stadium | Home | 4 | 11 | 4 |
| 1979 | CHC | Wrigley Field | Away | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1980 | CHC | Shea Stadium | Home | 3 | 12 | 1 |
| 1981 | CHC | Wrigley Field | Away | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 1982 | PHI | Veterans Stadium | Away | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| 1983 | PHI | Shea Stadium | Home | 6 | 13 | 3 |
| 1984 | CIN | Riverfront Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | STL | Shea Stadium | Home | 3 | 14 | 2 |
| 1986 | PIT | Three Rivers Stadium | Away | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1987 | PIT | Shea Stadium | Home | 5 | 15 | 3 |
| 1988 | MON | Olympic Stadium | Away | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 1989 | STL | Shea Stadium | Home | 4 | 16 | 3 |
| 1990 | PIT | Shea Stadium | Home | 6 | 17 | 4 |
| 1991 | PHI | Shea Stadium | Home | 7 | 18 | 4 |
| 1992 | STL | Busch Stadium | Away | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1993 | COL | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 19 | 1 |
| 1994 | CHC | Wrigley Field | Away | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 1995 | COL | Coors Field | Away | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1996 | STL | Shea Stadium | Home | 6 | 20 | 4 |
| 1997 | SD | Jack Murphy Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 1998 | PHI | Shea Stadium | Home | 8 | 21 | 5 |
| 1999 | MIA | Sun Life Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2000 | CHC | Tokyo Dome | Away | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2001 | ATL | Turner Field | Away | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | PIT | Shea Stadium | Home | 7 | 22 | 5 |
| 2003 | CHC | Shea Stadium | Home | 7 | 23 | 2 |
| 2004 | ATL | Turner Field | Away | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | CIN | Great American Ball Park | Away | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2006 | WSH | Shea Stadium | Home | 1 | 24 | 1 |
| 2007 | STL | Busch Stadium | Away | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| 2008 | MIA | Sun Life Stadium | Away | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2009 | CIN | Great American Ball Park | Away | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 2010 | MIA | Citi Field | Home | 3 | 25 | 1 |
| 2011 | MIA | Sun Life Stadium | Away | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 2012 | ATL | Citi Field | Home | 4 | 26 | 2 |
| 2013 | SD | Citi Field | Home | 2 | 27 | 1 |
| 2014 | WSH | Citi Field | Home | 2 | 28 | 2 |
| 2015 | WSH | Nationals Park | Away | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 | KC | Kauffman Stadium | Away | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | ATL | Citi Field | Home | 5 | 29 | 3 |
| 2018 | STL | Citi Field | Home | 8 | 30 | 5 |
| 2019 | WSH | Nationals Park | Away | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2020 | ATL | Citi Field | Home | 6 | 31 | 4 |
| 2021 | PHI | Citizens Bank Park | Away | 9 | 4 | 4 |
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