At last, there is an official place and date for the Orioles to kick off their 2020 season, assuming nothing happens from time to time that causes more trouble and changes MLB plans. The 60 game schedule begins July 24 with the O’s in Boston. They will continue with two games against the Marlins in Miami before getting an opening game on Wednesday, July 29, also against the Marlins.
Under the agreed schedule plan, each team will play ten games against their division opponents and a total of 20 games against teams from the same division in the other league. For the Orioles, that means ten games each against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Blue Jays, plus six games against the Nationals, four against the Marlins and the Phillies, and three against the Mets and Braves.
The Orioles have one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, schedules of any team. Four of his opponents won at least 93 games in 2019, and all but two had a record of .500 or better. This would probably be more frustrating if there was any illusion that the Orioles might have been good in 2020. It is not likely that it will improve them remarkably against the generally weaker central and western opponents. At least it will be over quickly.
The shortened schedule means that there are more quirks than you might normally see in a schedule. For example, of the ten games the Orioles will play against the Rays, seven are at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The season series against the Blue Jays turns the other way, with the O slated for seven in Toronto and just three in Baltimore.
The longest family home the O’s will have in this shortened season is a ten-game period Aug. 14-23, with three games against the Nationals, three against the Blue Jays and four against the Red Sox. They are never on the road for more than seven consecutive games, a stretch from August 25 to 31 immediately after that stay and where they will play three against the Rays and four in Toronto.
The month of September will begin with eleven consecutive games against the Mets and the Yankees. There just isn’t much room for variety on a 60-game schedule that maintains an unbalanced number against division opponents.
The O’s open and close this season on the road. They play five games before they get a game at home and their last six are also on tour. The season finale is scheduled for September 27, when they will close their final series against the Blue Jays.
There will be a total of three exhibition games in the run-up to this shortened season. The O’s play one in Philadelphia on July 19, one against the Baltimore Nationals on July 20, and one against the Nats in DC on July 21. These games will not be televised by MASN or broadcast by the Orioles Radio Network.
On the possibility of fans in the stands this season, the Orioles included it in their release by announcing the schedule:
At the start of the 2020 campaign, the Orioles, like many major league teams, will not immediately play in front of spectators as part of a strict policy in the interest of public health and safety, as well as the safety of employees and players. The Orioles will continue to comply with local laws and orders while adhering to the guidelines established by public health professionals and will work with Major League Baseball to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation. Policy updates regarding attendance will be communicated to fans when available.
Everything is going to be strange this year. There may not be fans in any game, or if there are some fans in some places, it will surely be limited to a small number. There will be new rules like a universal designated hitter and strange ones like using the minor league extra innings rule where a runner starts every half inning at second base after the ninth inning passes. As a result of the shortened season, there will be no All-Star Game.
When the season begins, there will be a 30-man roster, and in the absence of any organized baseball league, each team will have a reserve group parked in or around their hometown for a total of an expanded roster of 60 men.
Will the Orioles start playing some of the prospects? It is probably the most interesting question for this shortened season. Basically, they didn’t invite any of those guys to the initial summer camp, and they haven’t set up a second camp yet. Unless something starts to change very soon, I don’t expect to see many of those guys I expected to see in August and September if there had been a full season.
The full Orioles 2020 schedule, including game times, is now available on O’s website.
