Major League Baseball officially announced the 2020 season schedule on Monday, and as expected, it will look different than previous seasons.
The A's won't reach the Eastern Time Zone unless they reach the playoffs. That's because of the new scheduling rule where baseball teams remain in their own region and play teams in that area regardless of league.
They'll play teams within their division 10 times. They'll play each NL West at least three times, including six matchups against the Giants.
You'll notice that start times are generally earlier, with some weekday games during the afternoon.
Here's what really matters: The A's are good. Like, really good.
They have a stacked rotation and an awesome starting lineup.
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They won't have to deal with teams from the east, so the travel will be shorter. They'll have to deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers more than normal, but they've got the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres -- and they should be easy to handle.
The A's finish the season with ease, with 11 of 14 games against teams not named the Dodgers or the Houston Astros. That's a cakewalk, and they're capable of making a run if they have to. The A's have been closers in their recent past, so they can push for a division title and avoid the Astros when trying to stay away from the wild-card games that have plagued them so.
Those games against the Astros will be pivotal, though slightly less impactful without fans ready to jeer Mike Fiers for his part in the Houston cheating scandal. It's not ideal to finish with the Dodgers and then the Seattle Mariners, but it could be worse.
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The A's are stacked. Other teams should be scared of them. The schedule ultimately doesn't matter. If the A's come out strong, they'll be fine. That's even the case with every game magnified by the fact there aren't 162 to battle over.
Here's a look at the entire 60-game schedule:
Let's get it.
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) July 6, 2020
📅: https://t.co/6C3JzN9HCG#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/eKUDCgcg7k
MLB 2020 schedule release: Stacked A's squad shouldn't fear Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
