New York Mets fans were left stunned on Thursday when the national anthem was butchered ahead of the team’s opening game of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Christopher Jackson, the Broadway performer best known for originating the role of George Washington in the hit musical Hamilton, was given the honor of performing the Star-Spangled Banner on Opening Day at Citi Field.
However, despite his experience playing one of the most iconic figures in American history, Jackson, 50, unbelievably mixed up the lyrics to the US national anthem.
He seemed to confuse the line ‘What so proudly we hail’ in the first verse with ‘Were so gallantly streaming’ from later in the song.
While Jackson didn’t miss a beat and continued through the remainder of the anthem without a hiccup, his error did not go unmissed by fans.
Many Mets fans were left horrified by the blunder with some even going as far as to claim that it was an ‘omen’ for their team’s coming season.
New York Mets fans were left stunned on Thursday when the national anthem was butchered
The Mets opened their 2026 MLB season against the Pittsburgh Pirates a Citi Field
‘Chris Jackson just majorly messed up our great National Anthem before the first pitch of Pirates/Mets,’ one baseball fan fumed on social media. ‘A national disgrace! Lock him up!’
‘Alexander Hamilton is rolling in his grave over his anthem at the Mets game,’ another quipped.
‘Tell Christopher Jackson he f***ed up the National Anthem and he f***ing sucks,’ a particularly furious Mets fan posted.
‘Opening Day! Let’s go Mets! The guy singing the national anthem got the lyrics wrong. Can only go up from here,’ a fourth social media user joked.
‘Second National Anthem of the season and we’ve already got botched lyrics. Not surprised the Mets couldn’t get a guy to do what they paid him to do,’ one said.
‘Forgetting the words of the National Anthem. Mets gonna Met,’ another shared, seemingly referring to the team’s past records.
Jackson made his Broadway debut in 1997 as an ensemble member in the original Broadway cast of Disney’s The Lion King.
He has gone on to star in multiple high-profile roles on both screen and stage, including HBO’s ‘And Just Like That,’ Disney’s ‘Moana,’ and ‘In the Heights.’
Fortunatelt the blunder wasn’t an omen for the Mets as Pirates’ Paul Skenes was pulled
He also performed the national anthem at a New York Knicks game last week. Yet,m on that occasion he managed to make it through the Star-Spangled Banner without error and received a warm round of applause from the crowd inside Madison Square Garden.
Fortunately for Jackson, his blunder did not appear to curse the Mets as the Pirates’ pitching prodigy Paul Skenes didn’t make it out of the first inning.
He lasted only 37 pitches into his opening day start, recording two outs as well as conceding five runs and hitting Francisco Alvarez with a pitch.
It prompted manager Don Kelly to remove the 23-year-old out of the game, leaving Skenes looking shellshocked after the lonely walk back to the dugout.
The reaction to the national anthem at Citi Field came as a stark contrast to the reception that the rendition before their local rivals the New York Yankees’ opening gane received on Wednesday evening.
The Yankees were not playing in the Bronx, instead traveling to the San Francisco Giants to raise the curtain on the new MLB season.
Retired US serviceman Generald Wilson was given the honor of singing the first national anthem of the 2026 season at Oracle Park.
Retired US serviceman Generald Wilson performed the anthem ahead of Yankees-Giants
A drone pyrotechnic smoke display forms the American flag during the national anthem
His performance drew praise from supporters, one of whom asked: ‘Was that the greatest national anthem of all time?’
Another called it the ‘best anthem in years,’ adding that the rendition gave them ‘goosebumps,’ while one fan wrote on social media: ‘Straight chills. Best way to start the 2026 season!’
The performance ended with a military flyover and included a drone pyrotechnic show that saw the American flag appear in the sky above Oracle Park.
Wilson’s performance was shown on Netflix as the streaming giant broadcast its first ever live Major League Baseball game.
