What’s New in 2022 at Citi Field

Opening Day is right around the corner and on Thursday afternoon the New York Mets hosted the ‘New in 2022′ media event at Citi Field.

I was lucky enough to be in attendance for MMO as the organization provided an exclusive look inside some of the new elements, promotions, events, and of course, the additions to the food menus at the stadium for the 2022 season.

60th Anniversary of the Mets

As we’ve seen this offseason, one of the big things the Mets have been focusing on is the history of the organization. They’ve made some pretty sweet additions to the team Hall of Fame and Museum with a new exhibit featuring some artifacts from the first 60 years of the Mets.

Some of the additions include:

• Gil Hodges’ jersey from the team’s inaugural season
• a Casey Stengel road jersey
• an autographed book from Lady and Mr. Met
• Mookie Wilson’s cleats from Game 6 of the 1986 World Series
• the pitching rubber from Johan Santana’s no-hitter
• Daniel Murphy’s jersey from his fifth consecutive postseason game with a homer
• Pete Alonso’s hand guard/elbow guard from when he hit his record-setting 53rd home run in 2019

This exhibit is in a case that includes eight drawers that help better display two-dimensional materials including a Darryl Strawberry scouting report, a 1986 NLCS scorebook, and a 1986 Time Magazine featuring Dwight Gooden.

Among the other additions to the Hall of Fame and Museum include an exhibit honoring the four team captains in Mets history; Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, John Franco, and David Wright. There are jerseys and artifacts on display from each captain.

Additionally, I highly recommend checking out the new and improved Amazin’ Memorabilia shop which is still located on the field level behind home plate. As you can see below, the team has really done a tremendous job upgrading the shop.

The new look Amazin’ Memorabilia store at Citi Field. pic.twitter.com/O6wNCzki1n

— John Flanigan (@jflan816) March 31, 2022

Events and Promotions

We also learned about some of the non-game day events and promotions available for fans this season. The Mets promotions schedule was released earlier in the offseason, but it features some pretty sweet items including:

• Tom Seaver Replica Statue (April 16)
• Francisco Lindor Bobble Gnome (April 30)
• Polar Bear Pete Alonso Bobblehead (May 14)
• Mr. and Mrs. Mets Sidewalk Chalk (May 15)

The Mets will also be giving away a series of bobbleheads at three different games this season.

The first will be Keith Hernandez on July 9 against the Marlins, the second will be Ron Darling on August 13 against the Phillies, and the last will be Gary Cohen on September 17 against the Pirates. When you put the three together you can form one giant bobblehead of the SNY booth.

Here is the Polar Bear Pete Alonso bobblehead which will be given out to the first 25,000 fans on Saturday, May 14 when the Mets take on the Seattle Mariners.

There are also some awesome events taking place at the stadium this season featuring concerts, runs, and the MLS Champions. Here’s the full list:

• 3 NYFC Matches (April, May, September)
• Night Nation Run (May 21), Color Run (July 30), Spartan Race (November 19)
• Governors Ball (June 10-12)
• Motley Crue and Def Leppard (June 24), Zac Brown Band (August 18)
• Amaze Light Festival (Winter)

Partnerships/Features

The Mets have also made some new partnerships this offseason and with that comes some awesome new features around the ballpark. These include but aren’t limited to:

• Samsung: The Mets and Samsung are transforming Citi Field into the most technologically advanced ballpark in the major leagues. Samsung is working with the Mets to install cutting-edge, high-definition screens, software, and solutions to transform the stadium into an all-digital fan experience. You can read more about these incredible features here.
• Caesars Sportsbook: With sports gambling now legal in New York, Caesars Sportsbook has become an official sports betting partner of the Mets. The partnership features plans to open the new Caesars Sportsbook at the Metro Grille on the Excelsior Level at Citi Field.
• Wicket: This is one of the more interesting additions to the ballpark this season. Fans can now use their face as their ticket throughout the 2022 season. Yes, you read that correctly. Wicket is the Mets’ new facial authentication partner to give fans an elevated game day experience at Citi Field.
• Coors: This season the Molson Coors Beverage Company will be featuring Hop Valley Brewing Company products at the new Hop Box container bar located on the right-field concourse at Citi Field.
• Additionally, the Mets have added Notorious Pink Rosé as their official rosé and Cool Cat as their official wine spritzer.

Last, But Certainly Not Least, The Food!

Of course, most importantly, we were able to get a taste of some of the new and old items on the menu at Citi Field this season. Some of my personal favorite items I tried today include:

• Alonso’s Arctic Grill – Polar Burger 2.0
• Metropolitan Fry Factory – Hand-Cut Fries/Fondue Ripper
• Patsy’s Pizzeria – Pepperoni
• Whole Hog BBQ – Pork Belly Burnt Ends
• Shake Shack – Triple Play Shake

Between Buck Showalter‘s talented roster and all of these awesome off-the-field additions, promotions, and events Mets fans certainly have plenty to look forward to during the 2022 season. 

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