What a successful opening day! Opening day is among the most exciting and hyped days in all of sports. It is a day after long months of awaiting your favorite team to show out after months of the offseason to prove and show themselves. For the Mets, they definitely did that. After a hectic offseason of saying goodbye to fan favorites, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz.

It sucks, of course it does not feel good, but that is baseball, and it is important to not look and hold yourself in the past but look forward and see how baseball is evolving. Teams are changing, players are moving on, and teams are looking much different. For the 2026 Mets, it is more than certain that last year’s Mets will be better than 2025’s team. Of course, the 2026 Mets will have struggles and fall back, but this team right now looks all the more promising than the 2025 Mets have ever seen.

This team has a stronger defense and plays better small ball defense. It is incredible what one offseason can do to reinvigorate the lineup. It makes me happy that compared to last year’s team, this roster can bring in runs on base without struggle or striking out. The 2025 Mets had a .256 scoring % with men on base compared to the Mets’ opening day, who have constantly gotten on base and brought in runners in scoring position.

The Mets did so amazing on opening day and blew up the 2025 National League Cy Young, Paul Skenes. They had 5 runs off Paul Skenes in only the first inning; it was the first time in Skenes’ career he gave up 5 earned runs in one inning, and to make it better, it wasn’t even a full inning—this happened in 0.2 innings pitched against the Mets.

The Mets finished the 2026 opening day game with an 11-7 record, the best in opening day history for the Mets, tied for the most runs for the Mets on opening day since 2013 when the Mets faced the Padres, finishing with an 11-2 score featuring a Collin Cowgill grand slam. The Mets winning, especially at this high caliber, shows something; although it is one game, we should take this game with not even a grain of salt but a pinch of air. This game means a lot for right now, but it doesn’t realistically mean these guys can all perform at this level for the whole 162-game season; at least, I hope they do.

What I can see is that this team has been incredibly strong today and has extended their score for opening day history for the team to 42-23 for all of opening day since 1970, with a record of .646.

For today, a new team for the Mets did better than I expected. The Mets left Paul Skenes after the first inning with a 67.50 ERA; Peralta won but came in after letting up 4 runs. Regardless, it is the first game, and a 67.50 ERA does not accurately represent the entirety of a season. Freddy Peralta had 5 innings today, 6 hits, 4 runs, and 7 strikeouts for a 7.20 ERA.

After a 2-run homer from Freddy Peralta to Brandon Lowe, the Pirates took the lead. For two teams this offseason who vastly changed their roster and energy from 2025 to exhibit more power, I assumed the game was over for the Mets. Then, in the bottom of the first, the Mets took back control in their home ballpark, starting with the bases loaded and Brett Baty hitting a triple to center field, scoring 3 runs to bring the score to Mets 4, Pirates 2. The Marcus Semien double brought Baty in to score, and the game went to 5-2. What an incredible start for the Mets and their best inning of all time for Opening Day.

Brandon Lowe hits another home run to bring the score to 3-5, but with Luis Robert it is 6-3. Redirecting to the bottom of the 5th inning, Juan Soto brings in Carson Benge to score with the bases loaded, and the game gets even more highlighted by rookie Carson Benge hitting a home run, turning the score to 10-5. With the final home run of the game being Franmil Reyes, it is 11-5, and the game was won. The Mets did the best they could on opening day, ever in the history of opening day.

This game was electrifying. It’s too early to make any predictions, but this team is good; let’s go Mets. God, this team is exciting, and I see the future of this team as amazing.