Juan Soto rode out on the Cross Bronx Expressway and pulled up in Queens. It was, in a word, surprising. On Saturday, the new Mets’ roster gets the primetime spot on Fox. Here’s everything to know about the matchup.
How to watch New York Mets at Houston Astros
The Mets stole a generational hitter from their intracity rivals while retaining Pete Alonso and adding Clay Holmes. The vibes are purpler, and the team is indeed worth meeting and greeting. Francisco Lindor finished second in National League MVP voting last year.
The Astros have been baseball’s heel for almost a full decade, and they’ve been exceedingly good at it. Since 2017: two championships, four American League pennants and three additional ALCS berths. We may be at the tail-end of the dynastic run, though. Decorated fixtures Alex Bregman (Boston) and Kyle Tucker (Chicago Cubs) are gone, as are door-slamming closer Ryan Pressly and midseason acquisition Yusei Kikuchi. But Jose Altuve is still here, coming off his seventh Silver Slugger campaign.
Of course, these interleague teams have a rich history together. The 1986 NLCS ended with a 12-inning classic at Shea Stadium and then a 16-inning Astrodome marathon. Saturday’s game is on FOX; the Mets trail only the Dodgers for most national TV broadcasts on their schedule.
Starting pitchers: Griffin Canning (NYM, RHP), Spencer Arrighetti (HOU, RHP)
Players with at least 40 home runs in both jerseys:
- Rusty Staub (75 NYM, 57 HOU)
- Jeff Kent (67 NYM, 49 HOU)
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(Photo of Juan Soto: Rich Storry / Getty Images)
