Red Sox: Way too early 2021 schedule highlights, key dates, takeaways
The way too early Red Sox 2021 schedule highlights.
We’re still weeks away from Opening Day for the 2020 season and we already know what next year’s Boston Red Sox schedule looks like.
Major League Baseball released the schedules for the 2021 season on Thursday in a premature move aimed at giving fans some semblance of normalcy to look forward to. This year’s 60-game sprint is a disaster so they are waving a shiny new toy in front of us so that we’ll forget about the broken one.
Mark your calendars!
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 9, 2020
The 2021 schedule is here. pic.twitter.com/sxME71RmAI
Except we can’t be sure that next year will be any better. Unless a vaccine for COVID-19 is available by next spring, MLB will be presented with many of the same challenges they face today. If another wave of the virus forces state governments to take a step back by reintroducing stricter social distancing protocols, fans will still be prohibited from attending games for at least part of next year.
In that scenario, you can bet on owners protesting against a full 162-game schedule. We’ll be stuck in the middle of another miserable labor dispute.
Let’s see if MLB manages to complete this season’s 60-game schedule plus the postseason. We’ll feel more confident in a full season next year if a World Series champion is crowned in 2020.
Red Sox uncertain strength of schedule
Even if we assume the 2021 season will go off without a hitch, the schedule is difficult to analyze this far in advance. We’re still months away from an offseason where free agency and trades could drastically alter the landscape.
Boston will have plenty of opportunities to face the division-rival Blue Jays next year. Toronto may appear to be a middling team at the moment but what if their young talent takes a significant leap this year? If they believe they are on the doorstep of contention, perhaps they are more willing to spend in free agency or swing a big trade. Suddenly the Jays are far more threatening than they currently appear.
The Oakland A’s would be a less daunting challenge if Marcus Semien bolts in free agency. The Houston Astros are loaded with talent but George Springer would be a significant loss to their lineup if they can’t lock him up to an extension. The Cleveland Indians pose less of a threat if they follow through with expectations to trade Francisco Lindor.
We don’t even know what the Red Sox roster will look like by then. Will Chris Sale return to his dominant form post-Tommy John surgery? Will resetting the luxury tax lead to a free-agent spending spree? Will J.D. Martinez opt-out?
A lot can change in a year so it’s far too early to predict if Boston has a difficult schedule in 2021. However, we can still examine a few highlights to look forward to.
Red Sox 2021 key dates
The Red Sox open the 2021 season at home against the Baltimore Orioles on April 1, marking the second consecutive year they will open at Fenway Park against the same opponent. Boston typically opens with a road trip to warmer climates or dome stadiums due to the often frigid temperatures of early spring in this region.
The club opened on the road in eight of the last nine seasons before being scheduled to open this season at home on July 24. This is only the sixth time since 1996 that the Red Sox will open at Fenway Park and it will be only the second time they have played in Boston as early as April 1.
Warm weather won’t be a concern in the middle of this summer but it might be next April. At least the season will begin a few days later than the late-March dates of previous recent seasons.
Boston has a home-heavy schedule to begin the season with 16 of their first 27 games at Fenway Park. That includes a 10-game homestand in April.
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The Red Sox won’t meet their greatest rival until June. They travel to the Bronx for a series from June 4-6 and the Yankees will make their first trip to Fenway from June 25-27. The clubs also meet immediately after the All-Star break in a pair of series that sees them play eight times in a span of 11 days.
Boston will face the NL East in interleague play for the second consecutive season. They host the Braves, Marlins, Phillies, and Mets at Fenway. The Red Sox will travel to play the Braves, Phillies, Mets, and Nationals on the road.
The schedule still includes west coast trips to face AL opponents but containing the interleague schedule to the east coast helps reduce travel in a world that might still be dealing with COVID-19.
If the Red Sox are in a tight race for a playoff spot down the stretch then they may need to clinch on the road. They go to Baltimore for three games with the Orioles at the end of September before wrapping up the season with three in Washington against the 2019 champion Nationals from October 1-3.
Next. Who will be the Opening Day starter?. dark
This schedule is subject to change if MLB is forced to adapt to the unpredictable pandemic sweeping the globe. We have no guarantee that the 2020 season will be successfully completed so we can’t know for certain what awaits next year. It’s hard to imagine it getting any worse than what we’ve endured this year though so for now, it’s nice to have something to potentially look forward to.