Baseball is back! And for the first time since 2000, it is back on NBC, too.
The New York Mets open their 2026 campaign at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Here’s what to know and how you can watch all the action:
How to watch
First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. For those unable to make it to Citi Field, the game will air on NBC New York and stream on Peacock.
Mets pregame show
NBC New York will also have live pregame coverage starting at 12 p.m. from Queens, with Bruce Beck, John Chandler and more letting fans know what to expect from this year’s team, and what’s new at the ballpark for the 2026 season.
Watch the pregame show on air, at this link and in the video player above, or wherever you stream.
Who is starting
The Opening Day starter for the Mets will be the newly acquired Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star. For the Pirates, defending NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes will take the mound.
Starting lineups will be released Thursday morning, but expect the Mets lineup to consist of some combination of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and rookie Carson Benge, among others.
One difference in the field will be Soto in left field rather than right, where he played for the 2025 season. That move came, in part, because of the emergence of Benge, who features a strong throwing arm and will be taking over in right field.