Rays 2020 schedule is out. It presents challenges
The first look at the Rays schedule for the upcoming abbreviated 60-game schedule presents some obvious challenges competitively and logistically starting with the July 24 opener at home against Toronto.
In general, the degree of difficulty was already enhanced by Major League Baseball’s decision to limit teams to paying only opponents in their division and the corresponding geographical division in the other league in an effort to limit travel and thus exposure to coronavirus. This means 40 games against the typically rugged American League East foes and 20 versus an imposing National League East group that is stocked with powerful pitching.
“Certainly in any given year one division seems to be ‘the powerhouse,’ but I think it’s fair that the AL East is always a challenge and a grind of a division,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Now you’re adding the NL East to it, which has the World Series champs (in Washington) and the Atlanta Braves and other clubs that are very good.”
In specific, it breaks down tough in many ways:
— The 10 games against each of the AL East teams are split over three series, and the Rays have two of those (covering six games) on the road against the Yankees (and the Orioles). Besides six games against the natural rival Marlins, the two NL East teams the Rays face four times (in home-and-home two game series) are the Braves and Nationals, who both made the playoffs. They play three games each against the Mets and Phillies, both also well-armed and potential contenders.
“There’s more than enough challenges throughout the National League East,” Cash said.
— A stretch in August and early September will be critical, and potentially season deciding in several ways. First, all 10 games against the AL favorite Yankees will be played between Aug. 7 and Sept. 2. Second, the Rays have a vexing 10-game, 11-day road trip to face the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Yankees, and even more so given the health and safety restrictions under which they have to travel. Third, the Yankees series at the end of that trip starts a 16 games in 16 day stretch that ends … back at Yankee Stadium.
“Looking at it, it seems that Aug. 10-20 (trip) presents its challenges,” Cash said. “I know there is an off-day squeezed in there, but under these circumstances, or under any circumstances, four games in Boston, three in Toronto and three in New York - that’s a handful. Hopefully we’ll be well equipped, well prepared and go in and play good because we’re going to have to.
“You certainly understand with 60 games a 10-day road trip can really throw you sideways if another team is playing really, really well at that time. A tough 10 -game road trip.”
— The schedule was supposed to be designed to minimize travel, especially on planes, by having teams face nearby opponents. That plan didn’t include the Rays as they have 10 road series split across five road trips, and only one of those 15 legs can be made by train, from Baltimore to New York to face the Mets late September.
“I really don’t think we look at the schedule under any circumstance and it’s even worth time complaining about it,” Cash said. “There really isn’t. That’s the schedule, we feel good with it. We know for us to be successful, no different than any season, you have to play well in your division, you have to beat the teams that you play the most of. That’s the way they’re aligned and we’re just going to have to find a way to compete really, really well.”
Also of note, the Rays have moved their weekday home games from 7:10 starts to 6:40 in an effort to eliminate some of the later nights at the stadium which, at least to start the season won’t have any fans.
This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 9:18 PM.