As part of a full Opening Day slate in which all 30 teams are in action, the retooled New York Mets behind the reigning National League Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom will get their 2019 season started against three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals. Here's how you can watch:
MLB Opening Day viewing information
- Dates: Thursday, March 28
- Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
- Location: Nationals Park -- Washington D.C.
- TV: SNY and MASN
- Live stream: fuboTV for fans in New York (Try for free)
- Live Stats: GameTracker
- Picks: Check SportsLine's MLB pick sheet for all your daily odds.
- Odds: Mets -139 / Nationals +120
Storylines
Mets: Agent-turned-GM Brodie Van Wagenen kicked off his first year in Queens with a flurry of moves, proving that the Mets won't be taking a backseat in the National League East this season. The Mets showed that they're aiming for the NL East crown in 2019, after a busy offseason which included the signings of Robinson Cano, Edwin Diaz, Jed Lowrie, Wilson Ramos, Justin Wilson and Jeurys Familia. The new-look Mets have a chance to win their first postseason game since 2015, especially if their rotation of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Jason Vargas stays healthy enough to serve as the backbone of the team.
Nationals: The Nats watched their franchise star Bryce Harper head to Philadelphia in free agency, but the Nats should be right back in the mix again in 2019 to make their sixth postseason appearance in nine years. Manager Dave Martinez will need to run a better bullpen than last year, and the additions of Trevor Rosenthal, Kyle Barraclough and Tony Sipp should give Martinez more options for the late-inning matchups. Plus, the Harper-less roster is just as talented as it ever was with young superstars like Juan Soto and Victor Robles and offseason acquisitions like Patrick Corbin, Anibal Sanchez and Brian Dozier. Just like their competitors in the NL East, this team is loaded with talent and ready to compete.
Prediction
The Mets are the more experienced team and for that reason, they'll beat a much younger Nats team on Opening Day.
Pick: Mets -139