Jacob deGrom can help the Mets on Opening Day

We’ve all been focused on who the New York Mets will play on Opening Day. How many of us have taken the time to look around the rest of the league to see who others will face?

It turns out the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies will begin their season versus the Texas Rangers. They aren’t catching any breaks with Jacob deGrom getting the nod for Texas.

deGrom and his new team will have a chance to help the Mets out early. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

A look at other meaningful games for Mets fans to take note of

The Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals start off the day at 1:05pm as do the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees. There’s a whole lot of interest for Mets fans in these two games. A clash between NL East rivals and any game involving the Yankees will catch our attention.

Opening Day is a full slate of games with start times all the way through 10:10pm EST. deGrom is actually the only former Mets pitcher scheduled to take the mound. And unless Patrick Corbin and the Nationals can take down the Braves, there aren’t a whole lot of meaningful early games we’ll be tuned into.

It might be worth looking into how the San Diego Padres begin their year against the Colorado Rockies. Having delivered the death blow to the Mets in last year’s playoffs, they’re a team to keep a close eye on. Their roster has been fully stocked and in the opener, it’ll be Blake Snell who gets the ball for them. Is the hype for them real or are they nothing but frauds?

If you want to keep an eye on games to watch on Opening Day, Michael Conforto against the Yankees at 1:05pm might be one place of interest. Check in occasionally on how the Braves are doing in Washington. Do the same when the Phillies go against deGrom in Texas at 4:05pm.

Interestingly, MLB only has one game with a start time of between the 5 o’clock and 10 o’clock EST. The Chicago White Sox vs. the Houston Astros at 7:08pm EST is all we’ll have until the three West Coast games.

Because the Mets are playing seven straight under domes this year, they’re right back in action on Friday at 6:40pm. It’s a much lighter schedule because MLB is protecting against any rainouts the day prior. The Mets and Marlins will be the first teams to have two games under their belts. By night’s end, with a little help from deGrom, we could be two wins ahead of the Phillies.