What Does the New Balanced Schedule Format Mean for the Twins?

[Melissa Berman]

After opening the 2023 season on the road vs. division foe (foe is maybe a strong word there) the Kansas City Royals, the Twins are getting their first experience with MLB’s new balanced schedule format by heading down to the sunshine state to play the Miami Marlins. Now thanks to MLB's balanced schedule format, Twins fans will be reunited every season going forward with the fanbase’s beloved former utilityman and Batting Champ, Luis Arraez.

Image courtesy of Rhona Wise-USA TODAY Sports

 

This season for the first time, and from now on, every team in baseball will play every other team in baseball at least once. Every team will play 24 fewer games against their divisional opponents than they did previously, 52 rather than 76.

What does the new balanced schedule format mean for the Twins?

The Twins schedule isn’t more difficult under the balanced schedule format than it would have been otherwise. This year at least.
Under the old format, Interleague Play opponents rotated against the other league’s divisions once per year. In 2023, it would have been the AL Central’s turn to play the mighty NL East, composed of three 2022 playoff teams the Phillies, Mets, and Braves.

Mike Petriello of MLB.com did a great analysis of MLB schedules by looking at the strength of schedule under the new format vs. what the strength otherwise would have been in 2023 without implementing it. He concluded that in 2023 there is almost no impact on the strength of schedule for any of the teams in the AL Central. “That’s because these five teams had already been scheduled to face the NL East in 2023, so those games aren’t new, and instead, they’ll pick up games against the equally weak NL Central and the NL West, which features a somewhat depleted (compared to previous years) Dodgers squad and the very poorly projected Rockies,” Petriello wrote. 

The Pirates, Diamondbacks, and Cubs a few of these other weaker NL Central/ NL West teams the Twins pick up games from. The Dodgers aren't exactly looking depleted this season so far like Petriello thought, but really are they ever?

Petriello notes that the new schedule will make the Wild Card race even tougher for teams in the AL Central, given how strong the AL East and AL West divisions are, because these juggernaut teams will be playing each other less. Of course, the Twins will hope to win the division, so they don’t have to worry about the wildcard race.

Could the Twins face a tougher-than-it-otherwise-would’ve-been schedule in future years like 2024, when the Twins would have played the relatively-weak NL Central? That’s possible, but the schedule will be harder for all our fellow AL central foes, too. Further, season record projections are not gospel, and team and division trajectories change from year-to-year, so it's impossible to really know what would have happened.

Less head-to-head matchups with our division foes and fewer road trip opportunities, but we’ll still dislike the other AL Central teams just as much.
Under the new balanced schedule format, MLB teams will play 13 games (four total series) against each divisional opponent (decreased from 19 games across six series).

Will it diminish the sense of rivalry between AL Central teams? That seems unlikely; I do not foresee us feeling any less antagonistic vs. the White Sox now just because we’ll see them a little less. I don't know if many Twins fans (or those selling tickets at Target Field) will be too disappointed about seeing less games vs. the Tigers and Royals either, considering these in recent years have been less exciting games. However, during AL Central division races, those head-to-head games vs. division opponents are extremely high-stakes, exciting, and fun because they present a direct opportunity for the Twins to control their own destiny and get business done by beating Cleveland directly, for example (rather than just hoping whoever is playing the Guardians beats them) and either make up a lot of ground or pull away. Now we'll have less of those opportunities, which is a little disappointing. 

One downside for those who like to travel to opposing division ballparks is that they will have fewer opportunities. For example, I am interested in traveling to Chicago this season to attend a Twins vs. White Sox game, but now we have two series options rather than three: May 2 and September 15. Neither series is ideal weather-wise, and that September series could be a lot of fun or a snoozer, depending on how the division standings look at that late stage in the game. 

Increases a sense of rivalry between AL and NL?
Sometimes in past years, I have felt like I’m in a bit of an AL bubble; I don’t pay as close attention to what is happening in the NL because we hardly see them outside of the Brewers series, Interleague games, and the All Star Game. Similarly, I don’t have any real animosity toward any NL teams for this same reason (besides perhaps the Brewers). Now that we will be going head-to-head with the Padres, Rockies, Reds, and everyone else every year, maybe new rivalries will emerge.

Exciting opponents are coming to Target Field. Or at least teams you may not have seen before.
Twins fans in 2023 can swing down to Target Field and see some of MLB’s top stars and teams that otherwise would hardly come to Minnesota. Twins fans will get to see Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado when they come to town with the Padres on May 9-11, the Cubs May 12-14 for Mother’s Day, the Giants on May 22-24, Diamondbacks on August 4-6, and Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor with the Mets September 8-10, to name a few. The Twins will vs. star-studded NL teams like the Dodgers, Phillies, and Braves on the road in 2023. 

Along with the pitch clock, shift ban, bigger bases, and the balanced schedule, 2023 is a year of monumental change for MLB. What do you think of the new Balanced Schedule Format? Leave a COMMENT below.

 

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[Nine of twelve]

I haven't done or read a comparison of the Twins' strength of opposing teams comparing the new schedule and what the old schedule would have been, but it is no surprise that the difference is of little to no consequence. We lose games against Detroit and Kansas City but we gain games against the Pirates, Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Rockies. Don't forget that the NL Central had a lower win percentage in 2022 than the AL Central.

[Peter]

Love it!!! New balanced schedule is great as well new rule changes!!! This will be one of best seasons ever!!! With shorter games it’s must watch!!! Especially with the twins!

[Melissa Berman]

1 hour ago, Peter said:

Love it!!! New balanced schedule is great as well new rule changes!!! This will be one of best seasons ever!!! With shorter games it’s must watch!!! Especially with the twins!

It will be fun watching a bunch of other teams play who I haven't seen much! The Rockies, for example 

[Melissa Berman]

1 hour ago, Nine of twelve said:

I haven't done or read a comparison of the Twins' strength of opposing teams comparing the new schedule and what the old schedule would have been, but it is no surprise that the difference is of little to no consequence. We lose games against Detroit and Kansas City but we gain games against the Pirates, Reds, Cubs, Diamondbacks, and Rockies. Don't forget that the NL Central had a lower win percentage in 2022 than the AL Central.

That's a really good way to sum it up. Also, in my head I still have to get used to the Cubs being a weaker team

[Melissa]

12 hours ago, Melissa Berman said:

It will be fun watching a bunch of other teams play who I haven't seen much! The Rockies, for example 

This! I have already noticed that I’m paying more attention to NL teams, starting with the Marlins. This is all sorts of new fun. My spouse and I have cheap SRO tickets to see the Padres - really looking forward to that one! otherwise so far we have tix for the Yanks and the suddenly interesting Orioles.
 

[Melissa Berman]

13 hours ago, Melissa said:

This! I have already noticed that I’m paying more attention to NL teams, starting with the Marlins. This is all sorts of new fun. My spouse and I have cheap SRO tickets to see the Padres - really looking forward to that one! otherwise so far we have tix for the Yanks and the suddenly interesting Orioles.
 

Yes!! That Padres series will be a lot of fun! I scooped up a bunch of the SRO tickets to games this season. Next year will be great seeing Bryce Harper and the Phillies at home, plus the Dodgers, and Braves! That Cubs series will be fun at home this year too, though they're on the downswing right now