Upcoming New York Mets dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Mets in brief: National League baseball back in New York
The New York Mets play home games at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, from late March or early April through late September, with postseason games in October. The club began play in 1962 as a National League expansion team, created to fill the gap left when the Dodgers and Giants moved to California. Its colors reflect that history: Dodger blue and Giant orange.
The Mets have won two World Series, as the "Miracle Mets" of 1969 over Baltimore and in 1986 over Boston, a series remembered for a dramatic Game 6 comeback. They have won five NL pennants (1969, 1973, 1986, 2000 and 2015) and six NL East titles.
- Ballparks: the Polo Grounds (1962–1963), Shea Stadium (1964–2008) and Citi Field (2009 to the present).
- Franchise greats: Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden and David Wright are among the players with retired numbers.
- Rivalries: the Phillies and Braves within the NL East, and the Yankees in the Subway Series.
- Ownership: Steve Cohen became majority owner in October 2020.
- Mascot: Mr. Met, introduced in 1963 and believed to be baseball's first human-form mascot.
Choosing seats at Citi Field
Citi Field seats 41,922, according to Wikipedia, in a three-tier grandstand: the Field Level (the 100s), the Excelsior Level (the 300s, which includes club seating) and the upper deck (the 500s). Ballparks of Baseball notes that about 42 percent of the seats are on the lower deck, which keeps more fans close to the field than at many newer parks.
The dugouts and the infield
The Mets dugout is on the first base side and the visitors use the third base side, according to both Ballparks of Baseball and Rate Your Seats. The lower infield sections between the dugouts, and the clubs behind home plate (the Delta Sky Club and the Ebbets Club), are the premium seats. If shade matters more than proximity to the Mets bench, the third base side is the better pick for an afternoon game.
The Excelsior and upper levels
The Excelsior Level is a good middle ground: closer than the 500s and covered in its upper rows in several sections. The 500 level is the budget option; infield sections behind home plate give a full view of the field, while the far outfield corners are distant.
The outfield
The Pepsi Porch in right field overhangs the field, a design borrowed from old Tiger Stadium, which puts fans close to home run balls. The right field seats on the 300 level are known as the sunniest in the park. Left field sections on the 100, 300 and 500 levels offer shade in their upper rows.
Seats to think twice about
- Sections 104–114 on a sunny afternoon: the first base line takes direct sun for most of a day game.
- The very top rows of the 500 level are covered but far from the field.
- Outfield corners on any level angle away from home plate, so you watch much of the game turned sideways.
Sun and shade in Queens
Citi Field has no roof, and the sun pattern is consistent enough to plan around. According to Rate Your Seats:
- The third base side is the main shade side. In Excelsior sections 320–333, rows 3 and up are shaded for afternoon games; in the 100 level the last 10 rows are shaded; and in the 500 level, rows 10 and up in third base sections are shaded.
- The first base side gets heavy sun. Sections 108–114 and 306–312 are shaded only in their top rows.
- Rain cover is limited to the upper halves of outfield sections 134–139 and 334–338, the upper halves of club sections 306–312 and 326–333, and the top five rows of the 500 level.
For a night game, the sun matters only for the first few innings. For a July day game, the difference between the two baselines is large enough to be worth paying for.
The schedule and the Mets games that sell first
Each MLB team plays 162 regular-season games, 81 at home. Spring training runs in February and March, the regular season starts in late March or early April and ends in late September, and the All-Star break falls in mid-July. Twelve teams reach the postseason. Since 2023 MLB has used a balanced schedule in which every team plays every other team, and NL East rivals meet 13 times.
- The Subway Series: Mets–Yankees games, home or away, draw the most demand of the regular season, and both fan bases fill the building. The two teams met in the 2000 World Series.
- Phillies and Braves series: division rivals that bring traveling fans and pennant-race stakes late in the season.
- Opening Day and summer weekends sell well ahead.
- Weeknight games in April and September against out-of-division teams are usually the easiest tickets to find.
- Postseason games are the hardest tickets of all; the 2015 pennant run ended in a World Series loss to Kansas City.
Resale prices track this demand closely, so the same seat can cost very differently from one series to the next.
Getting to Citi Field and gameday rules
Citi Field is built for transit. The 7 train stops at Mets–Willets Point, beside the ballpark, and the Long Island Rail Road's Port Washington Branch serves the same station, a useful option from Penn Station or Long Island. Driving is an option; the team charges a flat game-day parking rate, and lots open two and a half hours before first pitch.
As of the current season, according to the Citi Field guest guide:
- Bags: bags may not exceed 16 by 16 by 8 inches. Backpacks are prohibited, except fully clear backpack-style bags.
- Gates: open 90 minutes before first pitch, with exceptions for special events.
- Re-entry: not allowed.
- Smoking: prohibited throughout the ballpark, including e-cigarettes.
Rules change from season to season, so check the Mets' current guest guide before you go. GoodSeats orders include free shipping and no digital transfer fees.
Citi Field features and Mets history worth knowing
Citi Field opened for the regular season on April 13, 2009, beside the site of Shea Stadium. Its brick and limestone main entrance is modeled on Brooklyn's Ebbets Field and leads into the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, a 160-foot-diameter hall that honors Robinson. The ballpark kept several Shea traditions: the Home Run Apple rises in center field after a Mets home run, the foul poles are orange, and the skyline sculpture from Shea's old scoreboard now sits atop a center field restaurant.
The park first played as a pitcher's park, and the Mets moved the fences in before the 2012 and 2015 seasons. Citi Field hosted the 2013 All-Star Game, whose crowd of 45,186 is the stadium record, and World Series games in 2015.
The franchise's signature moments came earlier. The 1969 club went from expansion-era losing to a championship in eight seasons. The 1986 team won Game 6 of the World Series against Boston with a late rally and then took Game 7. The 2000 team met the Yankees in the World Series.
Frequently asked questions
Where do the New York Mets play?
The Mets play at Citi Field, 41 Seaver Way in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens. It opened in 2009 and seats about 41,900.
Which dugout is the Mets dugout at Citi Field?
The Mets use the first base dugout, and visiting teams use the third base side.
Where are the shaded seats at Citi Field?
The third base side is the shade side for day games, including Excelsior sections 320 to 333 from row 3 up and the back rows of the 100 level. The first base line and right field get the most sun.
How do you get to Citi Field by train?
Take the 7 train or the Long Island Rail Road's Port Washington Branch to Mets–Willets Point, which sits next to the ballpark.
Can you bring a backpack to Citi Field?
As of the current season, backpacks are prohibited unless they are fully clear, and all bags must be 16 by 16 by 8 inches or smaller. Check the Mets' guest guide for current rules.
How many World Series have the Mets won?
Two, in 1969 and 1986. They also won NL pennants in 1973, 2000 and 2015.