The Mets, Brewers, Phillies and Braves will need to wait one extra day to start their 2024 seasons. Rain in Thursday's forecast caused both the Mets (who are hosting the Brewers) and the Phillies (who are hosting the Braves) to reschedule their Opening Day games from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon.
The Mets will host the Brewers at 1:40 p.m. ET on Friday (March 29). The Phillies and Braves will get going at 3:05 p.m. ET. MLB's other 26 teams are slated to be in action Thursday with what's now a 13-game Opening Day schedule.
Rain is in the forecast in both Queens and South Philly on Thursday afternoon, but Mother Nature won't interfere on Friday. With plenty of on-field pomp and circumstance scheduled for the openers, both teams decided to announce the postponements roughly 24 hours before first pitch.
Mets vs. Brewers was scheduled to be the first game of MLB's Opening Day, but that distinction now belongs to Orioles vs. Angels. Friday's game will mark the first for the Mets under new president David Stearns, who coincidentally rose to prominence running the Brewers' front office.
Phillies vs. Braves, meanwhile, is a rematch of last year's memorable NLDS, which the Phillies took 3-1. However, the Braves went 8-5 against the Phillies in the 2023 regular season, including an NL East-clinching win at Citizens Bank Park on Sept. 13 for their seventh straight division title.
Friday's pitching matchup at Citizens Bank Park features two of the best starters in baseball: Zack Wheeler of the Phillies vs. Spencer Strider of the Braves. There is no better Opening Day pitching matchup, says our Mike Axisa.
