There was history in the air before the first pitch was even thrown in Queens.
The New York Mets came into Opening Day with an MLB best 42–15 record in season openers, and with memories of 1986 lingering, when they began their championship run by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates. This time around, they faced a Pittsburgh squad entering a new era without longtime franchise cornerstone Andrew McCutchen, who was recently moved to Texas, leaving both a production and leadership void.
By the end of the afternoon, the Mets added another Opening Day win to their legacy, taking down the Pirates 11–7 in front of a capacity Citi Field crowd under perfect baseball weather.
What was expected to be a strong pitching matchup quickly turned into an offensive showcase. Paul Skenes, who entered the game with a 1.96 career ERA across his first 55 starts, was unable to settle in and did not make it out of the first inning.
It started with a patient approach from Francisco Lindor, who worked a seven pitch walk, followed by a bloop single from Juan Soto. Bo Bichette then got the Mets on the board with a sacrifice fly.
The inning unraveled from there. Jorge Polanco reached on a swinging bunt, and Luis Robert Jr. battled through a 10 pitch walk to load the bases. Brett Baty delivered the biggest blow of the frame, ripping a bases clearing triple after a misread in center by Oneil Cruz, giving the Mets a lead they would not give back.
“I’ll certainly tip my cap to them,” Skenes said. “I also need to be better.”
The Mets kept applying pressure and broke the game open later with disciplined at bats and timely hitting. They loaded the bases on two walks and an opposite field single from Francisco Alvarez before Juan Soto shot an opposite field RBI single to add on. Jorge Polanco followed with a bases loaded walk, and Luis Robert Jr. plated another run on a check swing single to the right side, pushing the Mets’ lead to 9–4.
The defining moment came shortly after when Alvarez and rookie Carson Benge went back to back, sending Citi Field into a frenzy and putting a stamp on the afternoon.
Benge’s debut alone would have been enough to headline the day. He finished with a home run, a walk, and a stolen base, becoming the youngest player in MLB history to accomplish that combination on Opening Day. The only other players to do it are Barry Bonds and Bryce Harper, placing him in rare company immediately.
Defensively, the Pirates never recovered from their early miscues, particularly in the outfield, which helped fuel the Mets’ surge. Cruz acknowledged his struggles postgame, saying, “The next time, I need to have a better first step.”
The Mets now have an opportunity to keep that momentum going with a chance to sweep the Pirates this weekend in Queens, something that would only strengthen the early season message they sent on Opening Day.
For a team with postseason expectations and a fanbase hungry for another championship run, this was more than just a win. It was a tone setter.