Mets 2023 Schedule Highlights

It’s almost time. Mets pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just 12 days, and the first exhibition games are not too far behind, set for February 25 with both a day and night game. The Major League Baseball schedule is taking a more complete look, as game times are now available, and Peacock has announced its schedule for the weekly early Sunday game (the Mets have one scheduled, August 27 at Citi Field against the Angels at 12:05 p.m.).

Let’s take a look at some of the Mets’ schedule highlights, keeping in mind that this is the first season when all teams will play each other during the regular season.

March/April

Opening Day is March 30 in Miami at 4:05 p.m., when Sandy Alcantara will most likely take the mound for the Marlins against either Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander. After that four-game series, the Mets travel (with no off day) to Milwaukee to provide the opposition for the Brewers’ home opener on Monday, April 3. That three-game series ends with a day game on Wednesday, April 5.

The Mets then head home, again with no off day, for their home opener on April 6 against the Marlins at 1:10 p.m. Interestingly, the Mets have a long west coast trip in the middle of April, with three games in Oakland, three against the Dodgers, then four against old friendsJ.D. Davis, Wilmer Flores and Michael Conforto, along with the rest of the San Francisco Giants, ending with the Sunday night game on April 23. April closes with a series at Citi Field against the Atlanta Braves.

May

After hosting the Braves on Monday, May 1 in the final game of a four-game series, the Mets play the Rockies, Reds, and Nationals (welcome back, Dominic Smith) in order, in what could be a soft spot in their schedule. Interleague play then kicks in with a week of games against the Rays and Guardians at Citi Field (the Sunday, May 21 game against the Guardians is a night game), before the Mets head to Wrigley Field and Coors Field. May ends with the Phillies paying a visit to Queens.

June

The Toronto Blue Jays and Chris Bassitt come to Citi Field during the first week of June. After that series, the Mets make their first trip to Atlanta for a mid-week series, and after a stop in Pittsburgh, engage in the first installment of the subway series with two games in Flushing against the Yankees on June 13 and 14. From June 19-21, the Mets travel to Houston to take on the reigning world champions, then after an off day, go to Philadelphia to face off against the National League champions. That could be a rough week.

July

After games against the Giants in New York on July 1 and 2, the Mets will spend Independence Day in Arizona, opening a three-game series that leads to another three-game series, this time in San Diego, before the all-star break.

Buck Showalter‘s crew will begin the second half at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a three-game weekend series (don’t be surprised if the Sunday game becomes a night game). The weekend of July 21-23 will see the Mets at Fenway Park, with the Sunday game list as “TBD” for game time. The smart money is that the game becomes a Sunday night affair. After an off day, on July 25 and 26, the Mets complete the subway series with two games in the Bronx.

August

The dog days begin for the Mets in Kansas City, and after that, Showalter returns to Baltimore for a weekend series (it’s a safe bet that many Mets fans will make the trip south for that series). Later in August, the Mets make their second trip to Atlanta, and further on in the month comes a very interesting series at home against the Texas Rangers from August 28-30. Will Jacob deGrom face his old team? What will his reception be among the paying customers? Will there be a press conference and a tribute video? We have to wait until late August to get answers to all these questions.

Before the deGrom series, the Angels will head to Citi Field with two of the best players on the planet. Or Mets fans can dream about the first Mike Trout vs Shohei Ohtani matchup.

September

The first weekend of the month will have the Seattle Mariners coming to Citi Field. The following weekend, the Mets venture to Minnesota to compete against the Twins and “almost Met”, Carlos Correa. Over the last two weeks of September, the Mets will have seven games against the Phillies, which certainly seem as though they will be important in the race for the postseason.

The NFL playoffs are over. The only time marker of the offseason that remains is the Super Bowl. When the fourth quarter (barring overtime) expires on February 12, marking the end of the NFL season, there will be three days until pitchers and catchers and less than two weeks until games.

It should be a fun season in Flushing. Let’s get started.