Opening Day is pushed back a day for four National League teams.
Thursday’s scheduled game between the New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers was postponed due to forecasted rain in Queens. They’re instead scheduled to play Friday at 1:40 p.m. ET.
Two of the Mets’ NL East foes also won’t play on Thursday. The Philadelphia Phillies announced that their scheduled home opener against the Atlanta Braves will now start Friday at 3:05 p.m. ET.
This marks the second straight season Mother Nature interfered with the Mets’ season-opener. They’ll hope that’s where the similarities between 2023 and 2024 end.
The Mets followed a 101-win season and aggressive offseason spending spree by going 75-87 last season. New president of baseball operations David Stearns opted for less flashy short-term signings to keep New York on the cusp of possible wild-card contention.
Kodai Senga will start the season on the injured list due to a shoulder injury, so veteran southpaw Jose Quintana draws the Opening Day nod.
The Brewers won the NL Central last year, but trading ace Corbin Burnes and losing star closer Devin Williams to a back injury has dampened their 2024 outlook. Freddy Peralta receives the Opening Day assignment following a dominant finish to the 2023 campaign.
Meanwhile, a marquee rivalry game between two top World Series contenders is now off Thursday’s schedule.
Atlanta has cleared 100 wins in back-to-back seasons, but both years ended with an NLDS loss to Philadelphia. If anyone would snap Atlanta’s six-year streak of division titles, it’d be Philadelphia.
Two prominent Cy Young contenders will take the mound when Spencer Strider starts for the Braves against Zack Wheeler.
