The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets are set to clash in what could be a crucial series of the 2024 MLB regular season starting Tuesday night. With the Mets holding a half-game lead for a wild-card spot, and the Braves sitting 1.5 games behind, the Mets could secure a postseason berth with two wins in this three-game series. While the Braves cannot clinch anything in this matchup, it represents their best opportunity to make significant progress in the standings.
However, concerns loom over Hurricane Helene, which was upgraded to a tropical storm on Tuesday and is predicted to become a hurricane by Wednesday, potentially making landfall in Florida on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center forecasts that the storm could escalate to a Category 2 hurricane, bringing winds of up to 110 mph. Given the projected path, Georgia may be impacted later this week, prompting Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to declare a state of emergency.
In response to the storm, Major League Baseball has already adjusted the schedule for Tuesday’s game between the Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, moving it up from 6:40 p.m. ET to 1:10 p.m. ET to ensure it could be completed safely before inclement weather arrived.
As of now, MLB has not made any announcements regarding changes to the Braves vs. Mets series due to Hurricane Helene, but the forecast suggests that it will be affected. The league is expected to collaborate with both teams and weather experts to make a decision. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned that he had not received any updates from the league as of early Tuesday evening.
Several options are under consideration to mitigate the impact of the storm:
1. **Move Thursday’s game up**: Shifting the scheduled 7:20 p.m. ET game to an earlier start time, possibly to 1 p.m. ET or even noon, would allow both teams to complete the game before the arrival of the storm.
2. **Play a doubleheader on Wednesday**: Should the forecast indicate that playing on Thursday may not be feasible, the teams could hold two games on Wednesday. This would require adjustments to pitching rotations, but Monday’s off-day might alleviate concerns.
3. **Move the game to a neutral site**: In instances where weather poses significant risks, MLB has previously relocated games to neutral venues. Examples include relocating series due to severe weather conditions from hurricanes.
4. **Postpone Thursday’s game and reschedule**: This option, while least favorable, involves postponing the game with the possibility of making it up the following Monday, potentially affecting postseason implications.
As the storm approaches, it seems likely that the Thursday game will be impacted. The ideal scenario would be to move it to earlier in the day, with a doubleheader on Wednesday as an alternative. However, if adjustments to neutral sites or postponements become necessary, it could complicate the series further.