Mets at Royals to serve as ESPN’s ‘Sunday Night Baseball’ opener

The Mets will begin their 2016 season similar to how they concluded their 2015 – against the Royals, probably as the only game going.

They will open the 2016 season the same way.

The seven Opening Day games that will be aired on ESPN will include all 10 teams that played in the postseason, including the “Sunday Night Baseball” national opener that will renew the match-up of the 2015 World Series.

The NY Mets at Kansas City Royals will serve as ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” opener at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, April 3. The Mets and Royals’ contest will be the only game to be broadcast exclusively on ESPN, so fans of the SNY broadcast will have to wait until the second game to hear the Mets’ excellent broadcast team of Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez.

The Royals opening homestand will feature 2-games vs. the Mets, followed by a 3-game set with the Minnesota Twins. With the standard off-day after Opening Day, the Mets will also have two off-days after the second game of the year before they return home for a three-game series against the Phillies. The game had originally been scheduled for Monday, April 4.

Because of the way the schedule shakes out, the Mets’ Opening Night starting pitcher can return on regular rest to pitch their opener at Citi Field if the team so chooses.