2026 NY Mets schedule shows no mercy in the first half road trips

The New York Mets didn’t just get a 2026 schedule; they got a travel brochure. Instead of easing into the year with a steady rhythm, they’ll be racking up airline miles like a Fortune 500 executive. Four separate west coast road trips before the All-Star break feels less like baseball planning and more like MLB daring the Mets to audition for a sleep-deprivation study.

That’s a brutal way to start, no matter how you spin it. West Coast swings mean late nights, body clocks out of whack, and a constant reminder that geography is undefeated. By June, the Mets may know the best coffee shops in San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle, but they’ll also be fighting the kind of fatigue that doesn’t show up in box scores. The season won’t just be about opponents—it’ll be about jet lag.

The Mets open 2026 facing tough opponents while juggling a grueling stretch of cross-country travel.

After opening at home against the Pirates, the Mets will waste no time packing a suitcase. A seven-game trip to St. Louis and San Francisco kicks things off, followed by a brief pit stop in Queens, and then another quick jaunt to Los Angeles. By the 17th game of the season, the Mets will have flown roughly 7,500 miles. That’s two cross-country flights before most teams have even unpacked their spring luggage tags.

The reward for surviving that? A nine-game homestand that looks cozy on paper until you realize it’s just the calm before another storm. The Mets are then shoved back out west for nine more, starting with—you guessed it—Los Angeles again, this time against the Angels. Add in Colorado and Arizona before mid-May, and the first two months of the season are less about baseball rhythms and more about surviving airline pretzels and time-zone chaos.

June starts off with another Pacific adventure, a six-game trip to Seattle and San Diego, marking the fourth West Coast swing before the All-Star break. Even a team built for endurance can feel the strain of repeated travel combined with early-season competition, making energy management and focus just as important as hitting and pitching.

Then there’s the quality of opponents. By current playoff projections, the Mets will face 12 first-half series against playoff-caliber teams, compared to just eight in the second half. With top-tier pitching and powerful lineups on the docket, the early season is shaping up as a true test of depth, strategy, and whether this team can handle a gauntlet that stretches far beyond the scoreboard.

For the Mets, 2026’s first half is a true endurance test, with four separate West Coast trips stacked alongside matchups against elite teams. Between nonstop travel, time-zone swings, and top-tier opponents, this stretch will challenge depth, focus, and resilience. How the Mets navigate this grueling start could set the tone for the rest of the season.