The 2024 MLB season is upon us and the opener in Queens will feature two clubs that were connected throughout the offseason: the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets. Most notably, the Mets hired president of baseball operations David Stearns away from Milwaukee. The two clubs also hooked up for a trade that sent Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser to New York.
The Brewers won the NL Central for the second time in three years in 2023, though they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Series. The Mets had a very disappointing season a year ago, one that saw them finish 75-87 and sell at the trade deadline despite running the highest payroll in baseball history.
Here now is what you need to know before the Mets and Brewers meet on Opening Day at Citi Field, which comes a day later after Thursday's game was rained out and pushed to Friday.
Brewers vs. Mets
Date: Friday, March 29 | Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Location: Citi Field (Flushing New York)
Live stream: fuboTV (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: SNY, Bally Sports Wisconsin
Probable pitchers: RHP Freddy Peralta vs. LHP Jose Quintana
Odds: MIL -110; NYM +110; over/under: 7.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Brewers: For the first time since 2019, someone other than Corbin Burnes or Brandon Woodruff will start Opening Day for the Brew Crew. Burnes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in January and Woodruff is recovering from shoulder surgery that will keep him out until 2025. Peralta is the ace of a new-look rotation, and the lineup now features Rhys Hoskins and top prospect Jackson Chourio. Chourio signed an eight-year, $82 million extension this past offseason despite having yet played in the big leagues. At 20 years and 336 days, Chourio will be the third youngest Opening Day center fielder in the divisional era (since 1969). Only Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Hahn were younger.
Mets: The Mets are prioritizing development this season after last year's disappointment, though they did sign J.D. Martinez last week, so they're not exactly giving up on 2024. Martinez will not be in the Opening Day lineup -- he's going to go to the minors for a bit to get up to speed -- but when he is, he'll give franchise slugger Pete Alonso the best protection he's ever had. It should be noted Kodai Senga, who was so good in his first MLB season in 2023, will start the season on the injured list as he works his way back from a shoulder issue. Quintana gets the Opening Day nod in his place.
