Opening Day is on the horizon, which means the 2024 MLB London Series isn’t far off. Two National League East division rivals, the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, will battle inside London Stadium on June 8-9.

The matchup pits a Phillies team coming off back-to-back deep runs into the MLB postseason against a talented Mets squad that won more than 100 games as recently as 2022. It’s always exciting when these two rival clubs face off: Philadelphia narrowly claimed last year’s season series against New York with a 7-6 head-to-head record.

With all 30 clubs in action Thursday for the first time this season, here’s a preview of the 2024 campaign for the Mets and Phillies.

2023 results

Mets: The Mets’ 2023 season didn’t go as planned. After getting off to a poor start despite lofty expectations, New York traded away star pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander midway through the year. The Mets finished fourth in the NL East with a 75-87 record, missing the postseason.

Phillies: For the Phillies, 2023 ended in a heartbreaking loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. With a 90-72 record, Philadelphia earned a Wild Card spot in the playoffs and beat two division rivals -- the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves -- before its season ended in the NLCS.

Key additions

Mets: The Mets loaded up on starting pitching during the offseason, acquiring right-hander Adrian Houser in a trade and signing righty Luis Severino and lefty Sean Manaea in free agency. To add to their defense and lineup, they signed Gold Glove outfielder Harrison Bader and slugger J.D. Martinez, among other moves.

Phillies: Re-signing star pitcher Aaron Nola was the biggest move of the Phillies’ offseason. But Philadelphia improved at the plate and in the field with the signing of Whit Merrifield, who led the American League in hits in 2018 and 2019 and stole 26 bases with the Toronto Blue Jays last year.

Star players

Mets: Power-hitting first baseman Pete Alonso -- aka “The Polar Bear” -- occupies the middle of a stacked Mets lineup that also features four-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor and dynamic center fielder Brandon Nimmo. Closer Edwin Díaz, whose electric arsenal and entertaining entrance music make him hard to beat, has returned from a knee injury that cost him all of the 2023 season.

Phillies: Starting pitchers Nola and Zack Wheeler make for a 1-2 punch as good as any in MLB. The Phillies’ lineup is star studded, too: Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper is a fearsome figure at the plate; shortstop Trea Turner is a power and speed threat; and slugger Kyle Schwarber cracked an impressive 47 home runs in 2023.

2024 expectations

Mets: After dealing away talented players at the 2023 Trade Deadline, the Mets are projected to finish third, behind the Braves and Phillies, in the NL East in 2024. But their lineup can still compete with any starting nine in MLB, and if their new-look pitching staff can hold up, New York could surprise some people.

Phillies: With largely the same roster as they fielded in 2023, the Phillies are hoping to get over the hump this year. Philadelphia reached the World Series in 2022 and came one game shy of it last season, making for big expectations this year. Still, the Phillies are widely expected to finish in second place in their division, behind the Braves.

Questions to answer

Mets: Is there enough pitching? Top starter Kodai Senga is out for the start of the season with a shoulder strain, a big blow to an unproven rotation that is now dependent on young pitchers and offseason pickups. Health is another big question for a Mets team whose pitchers were, on average, the oldest in MLB in 2023 and whose hitters were third oldest.

Phillies: Did they do enough? The Phillies have largely the same roster they did in 2023 -- a roster good enough to get them to the doorstep of the World Series but no further. It’s hard to blame Philadelphia for running it back with no major new acquisitions, but only time will tell if that strategy will pay off in 2024.