If there is a 2020 MLB season, the Braves will begin in Queens on July 24.
MLB announced each team’s 60-game schedule Monday evening. The Braves will start where their 2019 regular season concluded -- in New York, where they’ll face the Mets three times.
In their last meetings at Citi Field, the Mets swept the Braves on Sept. 27-29, winning the finale on a Dominic Smith home run in extra innings. The Braves had wrapped up the National League East at that point and finished the season with 97 wins. The Mets’ sweep gave them 86 victories.
The geographical schedule, like most everything else about this season, is unlike anything in MLB history. The Braves will face each division rival 10 times. Games against the American League East teams will be sprinkled in, starting with the fourth game of the season.
After playing the Mets, the Braves will play two games at the Rays before hosting Tampa Bay for two games, beginning July 29. The Braves’ first homestand will include nine games: two against the Rays, four against the Mets and three against Toronto.
It’s a challenging schedule out of the gate. Across July and August, the Braves play only six games against teams that had losing records in 2019 (three against Toronto, three against Miami). In the Braves’ first 40 games, they’ll have only those six against losing teams from 2019.
At the end of the schedule, however, the Braves are nicely set up. The Marlins and Orioles make up seven of their final 13 games and 10 of their final 20.
The Braves and Nationals play only three times before the season’s final month. They’ll face each other seven times in September, which could prove the difference in the NL East.
The Braves and Phillies will play all 10 of their games in August. After the first 11 games, the Braves face the Mets in only one additional three-game series, Sept. 18-20.
Off days will be at a premium. The Braves play 20 games before their first off day Aug. 13 (they’re one of seven teams scheduled for 20 consecutive games). They’ll be off on four consecutive Thursdays: Aug. 13, Aug. 20, Aug. 27, Sept. 3. They’re also off Aug. 24. Their final off day will be Sept. 17, sandwiched between road series against the Orioles and Mets.
Games against the AL East are spread throughout the schedule. The Braves will be finished with the Rays after the first week. They’ll be finished with Toronto after the first homestand (it’s notable the Braves won’t play at the Blue Jays, who aren’t yet sure where they’ll play home games).
The Braves face the Yankees four times in August across a pair of two-game series. The Braves play at the Yankees on Aug. 11-12 and host the Yankees on Aug. 25-26.
Unfortunately for the Braves, they drew only three games against the lowly Orioles. They will travel to Baltimore on Sept. 14-16.
Boston was deemed the Braves’ primary AL rival, meaning they’ll face them six times. The Braves go to Fenway Park on Aug. 31-Sept. 2. They host the Red Sox for three games to end the regular season.
The Braves end the season with a seven-game homestand against the Marlins and Red Sox. The season concludes Sept. 27.
The Braves plan to start their home night games at 7:10 p.m. and their Sunday home games at 1:10 p.m., with two exceptions: Sunday, Aug. 23, which begins at 7:08 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 27, which is scheduled for 3:10 p.m.
2020 BRAVES SCHEDULE
July 24, at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
July 25, at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
July 26, at Mets, 7:08 p.m.
July 27, at Rays, 6:40 p.m.
July 28, at Rays, 6:40 p.m.
July 29, vs. Rays, 7:10 p.m.
July 30, vs. Rays, 7:10 p.m.
July 31, vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 1, vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 2, vs. Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Aug. 3, vs. Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 4, vs. Blue Jays, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 5, vs. Blue Jays, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 6, vs. Blue Jays, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 7, at Phillies, 7:05 p.m.
Aug. 8, at Phillies, 6:05 p.m.
Aug. 9, at Phillies, 1:05 p.m.
Aug. 10, at Phillies, 6:05 p.m.
Aug. 11, at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.
Aug. 12, at Yankees, 7:05 p.m.
Aug. 14, at Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 15, at Marlins, 6:10 p.m.
Aug. 16, at Marlins, 1:10 p.m.
Aug. 17, vs. Nationals, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 18, vs. Nationals, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 19, vs. Nationals, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 21, vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 22, vs. Phillies, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 23, vs. Phillies, 7:08 p.m.
Aug. 25, vs. Yankees, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 26, vs. Yankees, 7:10 p.m.
Aug. 28, at Phillies, 7:05 p.m.
Aug. 29, at Phillies, 1:15 p.m.
Aug. 30, at Phillies, 7:08 p.m.
Aug. 31, at Red Sox, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 1, at Red Sox, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2, at Red Sox, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4, vs. Nationals, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 5, vs. Nationals, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 6, vs. Nationals, 1:10 p.m.
Sept. 7, vs. Marlins, 1:10 p.m.
Sept. 8, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 9, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 10, at Nationals, 6:05 p.m.
Sept. 11, at Nationals, 6:05 p.m.
Sept. 12, at Nationals, 6:05 p.m.
Sept. 13, at Nationals, 12:35 p.m.
Sept. 14, at Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 15, at Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 16, at Orioles, 7:05 p.m.
Sept. 18, at Mets, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 19, at Mets, 7:15 p.m.
Sept. 20, at Mets, 1:10 p.m.
Sept. 21, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 22, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 23, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 24, vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 25, vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 26, vs. Red Sox, 7:10 p.m.
Sept. 27, vs. Red Sox, 3:10 p.m.
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