Colorado Rockies: The scheduling impacts on the 2020 season delay

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DENVER, CO – JULY 27: A young fan holds a baseball hoping to get an autograph as the Milwaukee Brewers face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 27, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Major League Baseball announced the cancellation of the rest of spring training and the postponement of Opening Day for at least two weeks on Thursday due to the coronavirus. Depending on whether it is only for two weeks or longer, the schedule of the Colorado Rockies could be significantly altered.

The Colorado Rockies have an interesting schedule at the beginning of their 2020 season but with Major League Baseball delayed the start of the regular season for a minimum of two weeks, the Rockies could see some significant changes to their schedule.

This would, obviously, depend on whether or not it is just two weeks or not. If it ends up being just two weeks (which is hopefully the case), Major League Baseball could realistically just push back everything on the schedule two weeks.

The season could start in San Diego on April 9 and continue on from there. The All-Star break could, instead, be from July 27 through July 30, the trade deadline would be moved to August 14, the regular season would end on October 11, and the playoffs would likely end around Veteran’s Day (November 11). This scenario would only work if the season resumes on April 9, though.

MLB could decide just to scrap the first two weeks of games, as well. If that were the case, the Rockies would open the season in Arizona on Friday, April 10. A total of ten games would be scrapped for the Rockies.

DENVER, CO – MAY 05: A detail of the scoreboard as sunset falls over the stadium as the Atlanta Braves face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 5, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. The Braves defeated the Rockies 13-9. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

If the postponement lasts longer than that, that’s where things start to become really interesting. As the schedule current is constructed, the Rockies would actually be fairly lucky compared to some other teams.

The Rockies open the season against the Padres and Dodgers in San Diego and Los Angeles on six consecutive days (starting on March 26) until their first off-day on Thursday, April 2. They would have their home-opener against the Padres from April 3-5. They would have their second off-day on April 6 before facing the Texas Rangers for two games before yet another off-day.

The Rockies would then travel to Arizona to face the D-Backs for three games before another off-day. They would go to San Diego again then come home to face the Cardinals (that’s when the Rockies are going to be retiring Larry Walker’s #33).

That series would be followed by another off-day followed by a three-game trip to San Francisco and three games against Milwaukee at Coors before another off-day. They’d face the Chicago White Sox for two games before another off-day.

Notice a common theme?

They have A LOT of off-days: seven, in fact, through April 30. After facing the Dodgers on March 30, they actually don’t play a Monday game until May 4 against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit.

DENVER, CO – MAY 27: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies watches his fly ball in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on May 27, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Joe Mahoney/Getty Images) /

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If the season were to start on Friday, May 1 in Philadelphia (for example), the Rockies would be fortunate because they would still have 133 games left on their schedule.

If MLB decides to do this and not make the schedules all even, the Rockies would have more games remaining than most teams. For comparison, the Dodgers and Dbacks would each have 132 games, and the Giants would have 131 games left.

Even though it would only be one or two games, this would give the Rockies an advantage (albeit a small one) in the number of games because it would be more games that they could try to win to reach the playoffs.

However, in the games that would be lost in this scenario, they would have to face the Padres (who improved a lot on paper this offseason) ten times, the powerhouse Dodgers six times, the improved Texas Rangers twice, the D’backs, Cardinals, Giants, and Brewers three times each, and the White Sox (who are much improved this offseason) twice.

Those are some pretty good teams overall and 16 of those 29 total games would be on the road.

If the season were to start May 1, they would have a fairly easy schedule until Memorial Day. The Rockies would face the Phillies six times, the Tigers for three, the Reds for three, the Giants for four, the Marlins for three, and the White Sox for two. Their only off-days in the month are on May 18 and 21 but it’s not exactly the hardest schedule in baseball at the time. The Rockies would face the Dodgers for four and Giants for three games to end the month.

Another possible situation is one like what Rox Pile’s Kevin Larson said on Twitter last night: get rid of interleague play since it would not have an effect on tiebreakers for playoffs and the four games series and make them three games. That would cut 30 games out of the schedule right there.

More news will come out on the situation in the coming days and weeks so Major League Baseball should be able to make an informed decision as the time comes closer.

Next. Rox, Freeland prepare for coronavirus impact on sport. dark

In the meantime, try to keep your life as normal as it can be and wash your hands!

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