After a seven-game season-opening road trip, the New York Mets’ return home to Citi Field will have to wait just a bit longer.
The 2023 home opener, originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, has been postponed to Friday due to impending inclement weather expected in Queens. Facing off against the Miami Marlins with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET, the celebratory day will have fans clamoring to get to the ballpark early so they don’t miss a moment.
Here is what you need to know when heading to Citi Field on Friday.
What to know for the Mets’ 2023 home opener
- The parking lot at Citi Field will open at 9:40 a.m. ET and gates to enter the stadium will open one hour later at 10:40 a.m. Due to the high volume of traffic expected, the Mets are encouraging fans to take mass transit.
- The annual Shea Floral Presentation will begin approximately 30 minutes before first pitch. The family of Bill Shea, the man who was instrumental in bringing National League baseball back to New York with the Mets in 1962, will present manager Buck Showalter with a floral arrangement for good luck. This is a tradition that dates back to the Mets’ very first Opening Day at the Polo Grounds.
- New Jersey vocalist Anna Negron will perform the national anthem with members of the FDNY presenting colors. NYPD police officer Makiah Brown will sing “God Bless America” in the middle of the seventh inning.
- The Mets will honor legendary broadcaster Bob Murphy, who spent 42 years with the organization, with a mark in the left-field rafters next to other retired numbers and honored individuals. Murphy’s children Brian, Kasey, and Kelly will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Mets alumni Mookie Wilson, Tim Teufel, and Turk Wendell.
