NBT Bank Stadium opens 2026 season as Syracuse Mets settle into their second decade as a Mets affiliate
The Triple-A New York Mets affiliate plays its home games at the 11,071-seat NBT Bank Stadium in North Syracuse. The 2026 season opens this week with a new manager and a fresh roster pipeline from Citi Field.
The Syracuse Mets, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets and the longest-running professional baseball franchise in Central New York history, open the 2026 International League season at NBT Bank Stadium in North Syracuse this week. The team carries the Mets affiliation that began in 2019, when the parent club purchased the franchise from a community ownership group that had operated the team as the Syracuse Chiefs.
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The stadium itself, completed in 1997 and renovated in stages through the 2010s, holds 11,071 fans plus standing-room overflow space along the outfield concourse. NBT Bank bought the naming rights in 2007, replacing the former Alliance Bank Stadium name. The facility is owned by Onondaga County and operated under a long-term lease by the team.
What the 2026 roster looks like
The Mets player development pipeline starts in St. Lucie, Florida, moves through Brooklyn and Binghamton, and culminates in Syracuse before the final step to Citi Field in Queens. The 2026 Syracuse roster includes several of the organization’s top prospects, with regular roster moves driven by injuries and rotation needs at the major league level. The parent club’s farm director publishes monthly system reports through the official New York Mets channels.
How the stadium fits in the regional economy
The Onondaga County Department of Economic Development has previously estimated the team’s annual economic impact at $15 million to $20 million, including ticket sales, concessions, parking, and indirect spending in the surrounding North Syracuse business district. The Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau has identified weekend home stands as one of the steadier hotel-occupancy drivers in the summer calendar.
The longer history
Professional baseball in Syracuse goes back to the 1870s. The franchise currently known as the Syracuse Mets traces its lineage through the Syracuse Chiefs, the SkyChiefs, and earlier ownership groups. The Chiefs name was retired in 2018 when the Mets organization completed the purchase from the community ownership group. The team’s previous home, MacArthur Stadium, was demolished in 1997 to make way for NBT Bank Stadium.
How to plan a visit
NBT Bank Stadium is at 1 Tex Simone Drive in North Syracuse. The stadium is reachable from Interstate 81 at exit 23. Single-game tickets, season packages, and group tickets are sold through the Syracuse Mets official channels. Free parking is available in the surrounding county lots.
