Syracuse Mets 2026 Season: $149 Fan Pass, 150 Games, 25+ Giveaways

By Charles Shack, Senior Reporter

NBT Bank Stadium opened April 3, 1997. The Syracuse Chiefs played the first game there against the Pawtucket Red Sox, and Onondaga County baseball has run through the ballpark on Tex Simone Drive every summer since. The name on the jersey has changed three times across that stretch. Chiefs. SkyChiefs. Chiefs again. Mets. The stadium has kept its shape.

The 2026 season is the deepest promotional calendar the team has put out in its seven years as the Syracuse Mets. A new $149 Fan Pass covers every home game. Twenty-five giveaways are set across the 75-date home schedule. A Haudenosaunee Night is on the calendar for the first time. The Chevy All-American Music Series brings local bands into the pregame rotation. And through the first four weeks, Syracuse has already banked a doubleheader sweep, a three-homer Tuesday, and Ronny Mauricio mashing his way through April after a Citi Field option on April 13. Here is the full verified breakdown.

The franchise, by the numbers

The Syracuse franchise dates to 1961 under the Chiefs name. The team was renamed the SkyChiefs from 1997 to 2006, returned to Chiefs from 2007 to 2018, and became the Syracuse Mets in October 2018 following the $18 million sale of the franchise by the Community Baseball Club of Central New York (roughly 4,000 community shareholders) to the New York Mets organization. The 2019 season was the first as an exclusive Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. Before that, Syracuse served as the Toronto Blue Jays affiliate from 1978 to 2008 and the Washington Nationals affiliate from 2009 to 2018.

NBT Bank Stadium, originally opened as P&C Stadium, was renamed Alliance Bank Stadium in 2005 after a $2.8 million naming rights purchase and has carried the NBT Bank name since Alliance Bank’s 2013 merger with NBT Bank. Under the current 20-year agreement NBT pays Onondaga County $140,000 per year. The park was built for $28 million (roughly $56.2 million in 2025 dollars) and replaced MacArthur Stadium, which hosted pro baseball in Syracuse from 1934 to 1996. Seating capacity stands at 10,815 after a $25 million county-funded renovation, split $12.5 million state grant and $12.5 million local bonding, attached to a 25-year lease extension approved in July 2019. Work broke ground in October 2019 and phased in across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The project added four-top cafe seating, replaced every original seat with larger cupholder models, built a terraced area behind home plate, added drink rails down the left-field line, installed berms down both foul lines, moved the left-field wall in, relocated the bullpens behind the outfield wall, renovated and expanded the Hank Sauer Room and right-field party deck, expanded the Metropolitan Club, installed new LED lighting, and repainted the eight tower lights in Mets orange and blue. EwingCole was the design architect; C&S Companies handled engineering and construction oversight.

The ballpark sits at 1 Tex Simone Drive on the north side of Syracuse, named for Anthony J. “Tex” Simone, who started as a MacArthur Stadium grounds crew member in 1961 and spent more than 50 years with the club. He was general manager for 27 years starting in 1970, then executive VP and COO from 1997 until he retired in 2013. Simone died March 6, 2015, at 86. He was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

The team won International League championships in 1969, 1970, and 1976, the last in the Chiefs era. The outfield fence runs 330 feet down the lines and 400 to center.

The 2026 roster: Mauricio, Tong, and a first-place start

The 2026 Opening Day roster is the one Mets fans in Central New York wanted to see. Manager Dick Scott returns for a fourth year after being named the 17th winner of the Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award for player development, an honor Minor League Baseball has handed out since 2009. Scott is in his 13th year in the Mets organization, with past stops as minor league field coordinator (2011-12), director of player development (2013-15), and MLB bench coach under Terry Collins (2016-17). His 35-year career in coaching, scouting, and player development earned him the Bender nod in December 2025.

Pitching coach A.J. Sager enters his second season in Syracuse and his fourth in the Mets organization. Sager, a Columbus, Ohio native and University of Toledo product, pitched in 123 big-league games across five seasons with San Diego, Colorado, and Detroit from 1994 to 1998 (12-15, 5.36 ERA, five saves). Before joining the Mets he spent 20 years in the Detroit Tigers system, including Detroit’s minor league pitching coordinator from 2014 to 2021 and a stint as the Tigers’ MLB bullpen coach in 2018. He was the Mets’ Minor League Staff Member of the Year with Binghamton in 2023. Assistant pitching coach Troy Miller, hitting coach Nate Irving, bench coach and assistant hitting coach John Nogowski, head athletic trainer Austin Dayton (third season), and strength coach Drew Skrocki fill out the staff.

The roster runs deep with 40-man talent. Top pitching prospect Jonah Tong, the Mets’ No. 2 system prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 45 overall, was optioned to Syracuse to open the season. In his Triple-A debut Tong struck out four across four scoreless innings on 73 pitches with 11 whiffs; in his third start he went five innings with seven strikeouts. He led all of Minor League Baseball in 2025 with a 1.43 ERA and 179 strikeouts across 22 starts. Catcher Hayden Senger entered 2026 on the 40-man, already with four homers in the first two weeks including a two-homer night April 14, and was recalled to Citi Field on April 18. Shortstop Ronny Mauricio was optioned down on April 13 to clear space when New York selected Tommy Pham’s contract. In eight games before his next call-up Mauricio hit .273/.294/.394 with a home run, three RBIs, and three stolen bases.

Outfielder MJ Melendez was recalled to Citi Field on April 15. Right-handed reliever Austin Warren got the call on April 14. Right-hander Jose Willhoite was promoted from Brooklyn to Syracuse on April 16 the same day the parent club traded left-hander Richard Lovelady to Washington for cash. Catcher Onix Vega, right-handed bullpen piece Carl Edwards Jr., left-hander Christian Scott (the Opening Day starter for the April 15 loss to Scranton, 5.1 innings, two earned, five strikeouts), and veterans Cristian Pache and Yonny Hernandez round out a group that has churned through six promotions and three demotions between Syracuse and Citi Field in the season’s first three weeks.

The 2026 schedule: 150 games, 75 home dates

The 2026 regular season runs 150 games over 178 days. Opening Day was Friday March 27 on the road at the Worcester Red Sox. The home opener was Tuesday March 31 at 4:05 p.m. against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The season ends September 20. The International League splits the regular season into halves. The first half closes June 25. The second half opens June 28. Division winners from each half meet in a best-of-three series for the league title, and the IL champ faces the Pacific Coast League champ in the Triple-A National Championship Game.

Home and road games split evenly at 75 apiece. The schedule format groups six-game series against the same opponent. All Mondays are off days. Syracuse plays 24 games each against divisional rivals Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Rochester, and Lehigh Valley. Buffalo and Worcester appear 21 times each, Norfolk 12 times, and Toledo and other cross-division opponents six times each. The International League is now structured as East and West divisions with roughly 10 teams each. Syracuse sits in the East with Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Norfolk, Rochester, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Worcester among the division rivals.

The Toledo series to open the home slate was a nod to scheduling, not a rival pattern. The classic Syracuse in-division fight is with Rochester, 90 miles west on the Thruway. That series returns in May as the annual Duel of the Dishes, a food-themed rivalry night centered on Salt Potatoes versus the Rochester garbage plate.

Early April results: doubleheader sweep, six-game homestand

The first three weeks produced a split that has Syracuse above .500 after a 3-1 finish against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at NBT Bank Stadium. Opening Day March 27 at Worcester went to the Red Sox. The home opener March 31 against Toledo hit rain and a shortened loss. The April 4 return against Toledo was a 9-7 Syracuse win. April 14 delivered the Home Run Fest: Senger went deep twice, Melendez and Jose Rojas added solo shots, and Syracuse beat the RailRiders 8-6 for a three-homer Tuesday.

April 15 flipped to a 4-1 Scranton win, with Christian Scott taking the loss after 5.1 innings of two-run, two-hit ball, and Nick Morabito’s solo shot the only Syracuse run. The series rolled on April 17 with a 5-3 win behind Jack Wenninger’s 5.1 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Mauricio went 3-for-4 with a homer and a stolen base. Jihwan Bae added a double and a home run for a three-RBI night. Yonny Hernandez also went deep. Daniel Duarte locked the save.

The following afternoon Syracuse swept a doubleheader on April 18, taking Game 1 by a 9-4 final with Ryan Clifford’s three-run first-inning homer, a Mauricio solo shot, Vidal Brujan’s two-run blast, and an Onix Vega two-run homer all on one scorecard. Carl Edwards Jr. pitched five innings for his first Triple-A win of the season. Game 2 closed 7-4, with Clifford going deep again. The Sunday April 19 series finale was postponed by rain and will be made up as part of a future doubleheader. The homestand ran April 14 to April 19 against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The $149 Fan Pass is the headline

The team introduced a $149 Fan Pass for the 2026 season. The pass covers admission to every home game in the 75-date home schedule. General admission entry only. Reserved seats, food, and parking are priced separately. Season ticket plans with specific seats remain available at higher price points.

For context, the average Triple-A single-game ticket runs roughly $13 to $18 for reserved seats and $9 to $12 for general admission across the International League. Syracuse single-game 2026 prices start around $13 for reserved seats in the bowl and $9 for GA. Parking at the main lot runs $7 per vehicle, credit or debit only, no cash accepted. Stacked across 75 dates, the $149 math is aggressive.

Weekly promotions: six days, six deals

The weekly promotional slate runs every home day:

• Taco Tuesday. $2 tacos and Taco Tuesday themed giveaways. Launched at the March 31 home opener.
• We Care Wednesday, presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Health and wellness programming on the concourse.
• Dollar Thursday. $1 hot dogs and $1 fountain sodas all game long.
• Fizzy Friday. Postgame fireworks.
• Super Saturday. Theme nights and bobblehead giveaways. Highest attendance day of the week.
• Family Sunday. Kids Eat Free program: one meal free per paid adult admission.

Theme nights with confirmed dates

The team released a dated theme night calendar on March 25. Highlights with confirmed dates:

• Easter Sunday, April 5. Pregame egg hunt and Easter brunch at the ballpark.
• Jackie Robinson Day, April 15. League-wide observance marking Robinson’s MLB debut.
• Hot Dogs and Heartbreakers: A Sports Romance Novel Night, April 17. A new-for-2026 theme.
• Bark in the Park, April 18. Dogs welcome with vaccination records. Additional dates June 16 and August 23.
• Latino Night, May 5. First of three Latino Nights honoring Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, and broader Latin cultures. Additional dates August 6 and September 17.
• Duel of the Dishes, May. The Salt Potatoes vs. Rochester garbage plate rivalry night against the Red Wings.
• Salt Potatoes Power Move Weekend, August 21-22. The team’s annual alternate identity run tied to the regional salt potato dish.
• Wall of Fame Day, September 5. Induction ceremony for this year’s Wall of Fame class.
• Fan Appreciation Day, September 19. Season-end giveaway day. Final home game before the September 20 finale.

Haudenosaunee Night: a first

The 2026 calendar includes Haudenosaunee Night, a first for the franchise. Central New York sits on the ancestral territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and Onondaga Nation territory is roughly ten miles south of the stadium along Route 11A. The specific date has not been announced. The team has published heritage nights for Polish, Irish, and Italian cultures on the 2026 calendar as well.

New features: Local Eats, Chevy music, closed captioning

Local Eats: A Taste of Central New York, presented by Sysco Syracuse. Local restaurants, caterers, and food trucks rotate through a dedicated concession stand behind third base. The team is providing the space to local operators at no cost, a direct-line program designed to showcase CNY kitchens to a 75-date home crowd without the overhead of a full concession contract. Sysco Syracuse operates out of 2508 Warners Road in Camillus and is one of two New York distribution centers in the Sysco network (Albany is the other), stocking more than 10,000 items across meat, produce, dry goods, and restaurant supplies.

Chevy All-American Music Series. Live local musicians perform pregame and at every Friday home game throughout the season. Full 2026 lineup announcements are rolling out on team social media across April and May.

HearingLife Closed Captioning. A new real-time closed captioning system for in-stadium announcements and entertainment. Fans access captions via QR code on their phones, displayed around the concourse. The system is a joint effort with HearingLife, which operates more than 650 hearing care centers across 42 states as part of Denmark-based Demant Group. In Central New York, HearingLife runs clinics in Syracuse (1001 James Street), Camillus, and Manlius.

The weather guarantee

Early-season games in Syracuse are cold. The team has published a temperature guarantee for 2026: if the official game-time temperature at NBT Bank Stadium does not reach 53 degrees Fahrenheit, the ticket is valid for exchange at any April or May home game. The guarantee is a straightforward response to the fact that Syracuse had a foot of fresh snow on the ground at the Micron groundbreaking ceremony January 16, and April in Central New York can run anywhere from 30s to 70s.

Giveaways

The team has announced over 25 giveaways on the 2026 calendar. Items include commemorative baseballs, themed jerseys (the team has confirmed more than 15 different giveaway jerseys across the season), hats, and beach towels. Giveaway nights typically draw the largest crowds of the week. Distribution is first-come, first-served, usually covering the first 1,500 to 2,500 fans through the gate depending on the item.

Community appreciation nights recognize bus drivers, first responders, and cancer survivors, with discounted or complimentary ticket allocations to partner organizations.

By the numbers: NBT Bank Stadium

The attendance record of 14,098 was set May 7, 2010, when Stephen Strasburg made his Triple-A debut for the Chiefs against the Columbus Clippers. The building pushed past 11,000 again in 2009, when 7,124 watched Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, and John Mellencamp on July 19, and more than 18,000 saw the Dave Matthews Band that August. The Savannah Bananas sold the place out September 14, 2023. For reference, despite persistent local rumors, NBT Bank Stadium did not host 2023 World Baseball Classic games. The WBC first round used Chase Field, loanDepot Park, the Tokyo Dome, and Taichung.

Tickets and gameday logistics

Gate opens 90 minutes before first pitch for most games. The Fan Pass is sold online at the team’s ticket office page and at the box office during business hours. Standard single-game ticket prices for 2026 start at around $13 for reserved seats in the bowl and $9 general admission.

Stadium address: 1 Tex Simone Drive, Syracuse, NY 13208. Parking is free at the stadium’s main lot across Hiawatha Boulevard, with $7 paid parking closer in for non-season holders. Season parking pass holders use the Tex Simone Drive entrance. Team phone: 315-474-7833. The Metropolitan Club, expanded in the 2021 renovation, sits in foul territory and offers premium seating and food service.

Scooch, 30-plus years in costume

The mascot is Scooch, a fuzzy orange character who predates the Mets era by a long stretch. Scooch debuted in 1992 during the Chiefs era, has worked Syracuse baseball through MacArthur Stadium’s final years and the entire NBT Bank Stadium run, and holds a profile in the Mascot Hall of Fame. A Scooch figurine was produced in 2006. The team runs a standalone Scooch Appearance Request page at milb.com/syracuse/community/scooch-appearance for schools, hospitals, libraries, and community events across Central New York.

The 2025 season: 77-73, fifth in the East

Syracuse finished the 2025 regular season at 77-73, fifth in the International League East. The club drew 342,977 fans across 72 home dates, a 4,764 average, 15th in the 20-team International League. Starters Austin Warren and Brandon Sproat tied for the team lead with eight wins. The Mets scored 735 runs and allowed 729, a tight but positive run differential. Francisco Alvarez was the most visible big-league traffic through Syracuse that summer, sent down by the New York Mets to reset his swing before returning to Citi Field.

Injuries at Citi Field that keep the Syracuse phone ringing

The parent club’s April injury list is driving most of the Syracuse roster churn. Outfielder Juan Soto went on the 15-day IL on April 6 with a right calf strain suffered April 3, with a target return during the April 21-30 homestand. Infielder Jorge Polanco went on the 10-day IL on April 18 with left Achilles bursitis and a right wrist contusion. Outfielder Jared Young is out until late May or June after a torn left meniscus in his left knee. Each of those moves has rippled into Syracuse call-ups in the last ten days, with Senger, Melendez, Warren, and Pham all riding Interstate 81 back to Queens.

What to watch for at NBT this year

The Triple-A roster is never stable by design. Players shuttle up and down between Syracuse and Citi Field through the season as the parent club absorbs injuries and carries development prospects. The 2026 version has already shown two shapes in four weeks. Mauricio, Clifford, and Brujan are powering the offense, Wenninger and Scott are anchoring the rotation with Tong working through early Triple-A reps, and Edwards Jr., Duarte, and Pintaro have split the late-inning work behind the rotation. Scott’s bench has Nogowski making his professional coaching debut, Sager is running his second spring with this staff, and the staff already has a doubleheader sweep to show for the first homestand against Scranton.

For the 2026 season at NBT Bank Stadium, the most reliable bets are the promotional calendar and the ballpark experience itself. Fireworks every Friday. Dogs on the concourse three times. Salt Potatoes uniforms in August. And 75 dates to watch Triple-A baseball inside a 10,815-seat park that has been hosting the same city’s summer nights since 1997.

Sources: Syracuse Mets press releases, MiLB.com 2026 coaching staff announcement, OurSports Central release archive, metsnewslinks.com box scores for April 15, 17, and 18, Mets Daily Prospect Report (Amazin’ Avenue) for Syracuse call-ups and Jonah Tong starts, MLB.com New York Mets injuries and transactions log, Baseball-Reference 2025 Syracuse team page, Wikipedia (Syracuse Mets, NBT Bank Stadium, Jonah Tong, Nolan McLean), CNY Central (Tex Simone obituary, Syracuse Mets coverage), Sysco corporate pages and DOT SAFER registry for Sysco Syracuse LLC at 2508 Warners Road, HearingLife corporate pages, Mascot Hall of Fame Scooch entry, Ballpark Digest and EwingCole project pages for NBT Bank Stadium renovations, Grokipedia and MiLB Alliance Bank renaming article for naming-rights history.