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The lower your team, the better. (Insider article by Buster Olney)
1. Chicago Cubs
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 31 of first 40.
Home/away: 18 of their first 40 are at home.
Notables: The Cubs basically get to run an NL Central gauntlet in the first quarter of the season, with 21 of their first 40 games against the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates. Not easy; it never is.
2. San Francisco Giants
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 29 of first 41.
Home/road: 18 of first 41 are at home.
Notables: Bruce Bochy's group will be trying to rebound from a disappointing 2013 season, and the tests will come early and often -- 10 straight games to open the season against the D-backs and Dodgers. At the outset of May, the Giants will face, in order, the Braves, Dodgers, Pirates and Braves. After playing L.A. on May 11, the Giants won't see L.A. again until July 25.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 32 of first 41.
Home/road: 24 of first 41 games are at home.
Notables: The Brewers' schedule reminds me of the Pirates' schedule early last year -- if they can somehow grind through the first quarter of the season playing close to .500 ball, this could launch them to a good season. Crazily, they play the Braves, Red Sox, Yankees and D-backs by May 11, as well as 20 games against the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds.
4. New York Mets
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 23 of first 41.
Home/road: 21 of first 41 are at home.
Notables: If you're looking for a candidate to stumble from the start, consider what they have to deal with when the opening gun sounds -- 19 of their first 22 will be against teams that were .500 or better last year. The Mets play four of the six series they have against the Braves before the All-Star break.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 22 of first 42.
Home/road: 16 of their first 42 are at home.
Notables: The Cardinals will spend a whole lot of time on the road in the first quarter of the season, opening with six games on the road -- at Cincinnati and at Pittsburgh -- and they have an 11-game road trip that runs April 14-24. It'll be a grind early for Mike Matheny's group.
6. Colorado Rockies
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 18 of first 42.
Home/road: 18 of their first 42 are at home.
Notables: The good news is that the schedule would appear to give Colorado a good chance to get out of the gate quickly this season -- only three of the Rockies' first 23 games are against teams that finished at .500 or better last year. Here's the bad: The Rockies play a staggering 40 games in the first 42 days of their regular season, which is usually a time when teams settle in and use the off days to aid their rotation.
7. San Diego Padres
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 22 of first 41.
Home/road: 23 of first 41 will be at home.
Notables: The Padres open the season with three games at home against the Dodgers -- including the first game played in North America in the regular season March 30, on Sunday Night Baseball -- and then they won't see the Dodgers until June 20. Oddly, they have six games against the Indians and Tigers back-to-back in early April.
8. Cincinnati Reds
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 21 of first 40.
Home/away: 22 of first 40 are at home.
Notables: They go mano-a-mano with the Cardinals and Pirates early, with 13 games against those two teams by April 24. In fact, the Reds will play four of their six series against Pittsburgh by the All-Star break.
9. Washington Nationals
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 19 of first 40 games.
Home/road: 20 of their first 40 games are at home.
Notables: The Nationals will not leave the Eastern time zone until April 29, when they begin a two-game series in Houston. This will be something of a theme for the Nats, who appear to have very manageable travel all year -- two West Coast swings in the first half, two in the second half.
10. Miami Marlins
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 18 of first 41.
Home/road: 22 of their first 41 are at home.
Notables: Players generally like to settle in a little bit, and the Marlins really have a perfect schedule for that -- seven home games to start the season, and in late April, a nine-game homestand. Meanwhile, every road trip they make before May 7 is in the Eastern time zone, making for a highly livable schedule.
11. Pittsburgh Pirates
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 17 of first 40.
Home/road: 23 of their first 40 are at home.
Notables: The Pirates will get their fill of the Cardinals early on, with three series against St. Louis by May 11. Check this out -- Pittsburgh plays the Cardinals and Reds 26 times before the All-Star break, just 13 times after.
12. Philadelphia Phillies
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 17 of first 40.
Home/road: 19 of first 40 games are at home.
Notables: On the face of it, the Phillies would appear to have an early opportunity, because they don't see the NL Central powers until mid-May, and have only seven games against Atlanta and Washington among those first 40. This could help Philadelphia start quickly.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 13 of first 42.
Home/road: 22 of first 42 are at home.
Notables: As Zack Greinke knows all too well, the Dodgers open in Australia and so there's no telling what the impact of that trip will be, with jet lag, etc. But once they get past that ... well, they have a relatively soft opening, with only one series against a power from the NL Central or East (Washington) before May 26.
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 11 of first 43 games.
Home/away: 21 of first 43 (including the two games in Australia, for which they will be the home team).
Notables: Yes, they have to go a long way for their first two games. But Hawk Harrelson might look at the Arizona's early-season schedule and say the D-backs are picked to click. They don't face any of the NL Central powers early, and will mostly square off against teams that struggled last season. Including the two-game set in Australia, the Diamondbacks will have played four series (11 games) against the Dodgers by May 18.
15. Atlanta Braves
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 12 of first 40.
Home/away: 21 of first 40 are at home.
Notables: Last season, the Braves traveled a ton in the first half of the season, making early trips to the West Coast. This year, Atlanta doesn't have its first West Coast swing until mid-May -- the Braves play in only the Eastern and Central time zones through May 11 -- before making a three-game swing through San Francisco.
1. Chicago Cubs
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 31 of first 40.
Home/away: 18 of their first 40 are at home.
Notables: The Cubs basically get to run an NL Central gauntlet in the first quarter of the season, with 21 of their first 40 games against the Cardinals, Reds and Pirates. Not easy; it never is.
2. San Francisco Giants
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 29 of first 41.
Home/road: 18 of first 41 are at home.
Notables: Bruce Bochy's group will be trying to rebound from a disappointing 2013 season, and the tests will come early and often -- 10 straight games to open the season against the D-backs and Dodgers. At the outset of May, the Giants will face, in order, the Braves, Dodgers, Pirates and Braves. After playing L.A. on May 11, the Giants won't see L.A. again until July 25.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 32 of first 41.
Home/road: 24 of first 41 games are at home.
Notables: The Brewers' schedule reminds me of the Pirates' schedule early last year -- if they can somehow grind through the first quarter of the season playing close to .500 ball, this could launch them to a good season. Crazily, they play the Braves, Red Sox, Yankees and D-backs by May 11, as well as 20 games against the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds.
4. New York Mets
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 23 of first 41.
Home/road: 21 of first 41 are at home.
Notables: If you're looking for a candidate to stumble from the start, consider what they have to deal with when the opening gun sounds -- 19 of their first 22 will be against teams that were .500 or better last year. The Mets play four of the six series they have against the Braves before the All-Star break.
5. St. Louis Cardinals
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 22 of first 42.
Home/road: 16 of their first 42 are at home.
Notables: The Cardinals will spend a whole lot of time on the road in the first quarter of the season, opening with six games on the road -- at Cincinnati and at Pittsburgh -- and they have an 11-game road trip that runs April 14-24. It'll be a grind early for Mike Matheny's group.
6. Colorado Rockies
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 18 of first 42.
Home/road: 18 of their first 42 are at home.
Notables: The good news is that the schedule would appear to give Colorado a good chance to get out of the gate quickly this season -- only three of the Rockies' first 23 games are against teams that finished at .500 or better last year. Here's the bad: The Rockies play a staggering 40 games in the first 42 days of their regular season, which is usually a time when teams settle in and use the off days to aid their rotation.
7. San Diego Padres
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 22 of first 41.
Home/road: 23 of first 41 will be at home.
Notables: The Padres open the season with three games at home against the Dodgers -- including the first game played in North America in the regular season March 30, on Sunday Night Baseball -- and then they won't see the Dodgers until June 20. Oddly, they have six games against the Indians and Tigers back-to-back in early April.
8. Cincinnati Reds
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 21 of first 40.
Home/away: 22 of first 40 are at home.
Notables: They go mano-a-mano with the Cardinals and Pirates early, with 13 games against those two teams by April 24. In fact, the Reds will play four of their six series against Pittsburgh by the All-Star break.
9. Washington Nationals
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 19 of first 40 games.
Home/road: 20 of their first 40 games are at home.
Notables: The Nationals will not leave the Eastern time zone until April 29, when they begin a two-game series in Houston. This will be something of a theme for the Nats, who appear to have very manageable travel all year -- two West Coast swings in the first half, two in the second half.
10. Miami Marlins
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 18 of first 41.
Home/road: 22 of their first 41 are at home.
Notables: Players generally like to settle in a little bit, and the Marlins really have a perfect schedule for that -- seven home games to start the season, and in late April, a nine-game homestand. Meanwhile, every road trip they make before May 7 is in the Eastern time zone, making for a highly livable schedule.
11. Pittsburgh Pirates
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 17 of first 40.
Home/road: 23 of their first 40 are at home.
Notables: The Pirates will get their fill of the Cardinals early on, with three series against St. Louis by May 11. Check this out -- Pittsburgh plays the Cardinals and Reds 26 times before the All-Star break, just 13 times after.
12. Philadelphia Phillies
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 17 of first 40.
Home/road: 19 of first 40 games are at home.
Notables: On the face of it, the Phillies would appear to have an early opportunity, because they don't see the NL Central powers until mid-May, and have only seven games against Atlanta and Washington among those first 40. This could help Philadelphia start quickly.
13. Los Angeles Dodgers
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 13 of first 42.
Home/road: 22 of first 42 are at home.
Notables: As Zack Greinke knows all too well, the Dodgers open in Australia and so there's no telling what the impact of that trip will be, with jet lag, etc. But once they get past that ... well, they have a relatively soft opening, with only one series against a power from the NL Central or East (Washington) before May 26.
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 11 of first 43 games.
Home/away: 21 of first 43 (including the two games in Australia, for which they will be the home team).
Notables: Yes, they have to go a long way for their first two games. But Hawk Harrelson might look at the Arizona's early-season schedule and say the D-backs are picked to click. They don't face any of the NL Central powers early, and will mostly square off against teams that struggled last season. Including the two-game set in Australia, the Diamondbacks will have played four series (11 games) against the Dodgers by May 18.
15. Atlanta Braves
Games vs. teams with records of .500 or better in 2013: 12 of first 40.
Home/away: 21 of first 40 are at home.
Notables: Last season, the Braves traveled a ton in the first half of the season, making early trips to the West Coast. This year, Atlanta doesn't have its first West Coast swing until mid-May -- the Braves play in only the Eastern and Central time zones through May 11 -- before making a three-game swing through San Francisco.
