Mets Mensch #01
March 26, 2026: Opening Day vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates
1 of 162. Our long national nightmare is over as Major League Baseball returns to Queens. I can’t tell if today’s season opener was as incredible as my eyes told me, or if I’m just glad to have baseball back. Let’s go with both. I didn’t purchase a ticket until this morning, unsure if I was willing to spend the pretty penny required to reunite with my beloved Mets on their first day back in town. But as I stepped onto the 7 train, it felt like I was always going to be there. Like I’d never stopped making the sweaty commute to Citi Field in the first place. The game got off to a rocky start, with Brandon Lowe floating a ball gently over the right field fence to give the Pirates a 2-run lead. It was maybe the quietest home run I ever saw, even with the grumblings of the 41,000 in attendance. No matter, we got out of the inning quickly and I finally got to see a brand new team step up to the plate. Literally. The entire Mets lineup would get the chance to hit in the bottom of the first inning. Before Lindor stepped into the batter’s box to My Girl, I was somewhat scared of Paul Skenes, but frankly, being back at the ballpark overpowered whatever nerves I felt. I sang along with the crowd.
As I watched Skenes’ pitch count climb close to twenty, I started to get excited. Each at bat felt grittier than the last. I know it’s just one game, but our Mets showcased patience, peskiness, and a little power today. It was extremely refreshing after last year’s dumpster fire. After allowing Brett Baty’s roaring triple (aided by the bungling Oneil Cruz) Skenes plunked Francisco Alvarez and was done for the day. That’s right, the mythical ace had recorded only two outs. As he lumbered back to the dugout in shame, I simply couldn’t believe my eyes. The entire crowd stood up and gave him a sarcastic ovation on the way out. The New York Mets did WHAT to WHOM? Lindor flew out to end the first and I jotted this down in my notebook: “TOUGH AB’s. WHO ARE THESE METS???” Of course I know the makeup of our roster, I just couldn’t believe the at bats and situational hitting unfolding below me. On day one, inning one, the Mets seemed to deliver every hit we didn’t get in 2025.
I thought Bo Bichette looked fine at third base. In the top of the third, the Pirates’ catcher Henry Davis hit a ground ball to Bo, whose throw pulled Jorge Polanco off the bag toward the runner. Luckily for Bichette, Polanco made the tag just fine. But let’s be honest, it was not a great throw. Later, in the fifth, Davis again hit a sharp grounder down the left field line. Bichette dove for it, but missed. Soto took a bad angle on it and bumbled the ball a bit in the left field corner, allowing Davis to reach second with an RBI. I’m not going to blame Bichette for missing the ball, but in the moment, of course, I felt like he could have had it. In the seventh, Davis (again??) hit a sharp grounder to Bichette, who fielded it cleanly enough for me to note down that it was a sexy play. There may be some rough patches as he adjusts to the hot corner, but I don’t think we have much to complain about. Offensively, he went 0-4 with 3 Ks and a sac fly. Carlos Mendoza highlighted his 13 pitch at bat, though, which set the table for Polanco’s four pitch walk right after. I agree with Mendy. Although Bichette had something of a quiet first day in Queens, he’s still one of the acquisitions I’m most excited about.
Then, of course, there’s Carson Benge, the headline player of our season opener. The rookie eagerly swung at three pitches from Skenes, striking out in his first big league at bat. Who could blame him? After another strikeout in the third and a dead bird falling out of the sky next to him in right field, he drew a nice walk in the fifth. But it was the sixth inning that he will never forget. He smacked a home run into the bullpen for his first big league hit, homer, and RBI. I’m so glad I got to see that live. I didn’t even watch him round the bases — I was more concerned with confirming that someone recovered the ball for him. They did.
I’m just thrilled. I was smiling ear to ear practically the whole game, even during the rough spots. Sure, I’m a little concerned about our pitching, but I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt for today. They were pitching from ahead and it’s their first day. Let’s not dig too deeply into the pitching. The weather was beautiful, I was seated in the shade, and wolfed down a couple hot dogs. What more could a guy ask for? It was only after the game ended that I realized today was my first Opening Day. Oh, and the Mets made history today, with Francisco Alvarez notching the first successful ABS challenge in MLB history.
This season I’ll be following the 2026 Mets…closely. Perhaps too closely. I plan to post on here as often as I can, but at least after every series. If you enjoyed today’s post, please subscribe for free and share with your favorite Mets fans. That’s all for now.
Final Score: Mets 11, Pirates 7.
PUT IT IN THE BOOKS!