Red Sox schedule will make it difficult to generate early buzz in Boston
BOSTON -- Even coming off a second straight last-place finish, there's always some excitement for Opening Day and the start of the baseball season. For baseball fans, the pacing of daily life can typically be improved once the baseball season begins.
And while just about every Red Sox fan in the world is expecting another ugly season ahead, the start of a fresh season is still a day worth celebrating.
It's just that when it comes to actually watching the Red Sox start their season, baseball fans in Boston are in for a rough landing.
That's because for the second time in five years, the Red Sox are opening their season with a long road trip out on the West Coast.
This year, the Red Sox will play four games in Seattle, three games in Oakland and three games in Anaheim before finally showing up at Fenway Park to play some baseball.
The 2019 Red Sox, fresh off a World Series win, began their season with four games in Seattle, four games in Oakland, and three games in Arizona. They returned home with a 3-8 record. They wouldn't get above .500 until May 10.
This year's team is obviously hoping for a better start. But given the state of the roster -- and particularly the pitching staff -- it feels like a relative long shot for the team to even be able to head home with a .500 record.
Here's how the first 10 games are laid out for the 2024 Red Sox.
Red Sox Schedule (Opening Road Trip)
Thursday, March 28: at Seattle, 10:10 p.m. ET
Friday, March 29: at Seattle, 9:40 p.m. ET
Saturday, March 30: at Seattle, 9:40 p.m. ET
Sunday, March 31: at Seattle, 4:10 p.m. ET
Monday, April 1: at Oakland, 9:40 p.m. ET
Tuesday, April 2: at Oakland, 9:40 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 3: at Oakland, 3:37 p.m. ET
Friday, April 5: at L.A. Angels, 9:38 p.m. ET
Saturday, April 6: at L.A. Angels, 9:38 p.m. ET
Sunday, April 7: at L.A. Angels, 4:07 p.m. ET
A team starting on the West Coast is always tough for East Coast fans, but this one is particularly tough. Seven of the Red Sox' first 10 games will be played at 9:38 p.m. or later in Boston, and one of the early games will be played on a Wednesday afternoon. As far as getting eyeballs on the product goes, it's not a great setup for the Red Sox.
That could work one of two ways. If they start slowly -- as anticipated -- then there won't be too much rancor in the Boston area over the initial 10 days of the season. But a hopeless optimist could see the schedule as an opportunity to get off to a surprisingly strong start without the normal weight of pressure.
As for the quality of opponents, well, the season hasn't started yet (duh). However, the Red Sox should have a chance to turn this into a decent road trip. While the Mariners are generally considered a top-10 team in MLB after they finished one game out of a wild-card spot last year, the A's are universally considered the worst team in baseball. And the Angels aren't thought to be much better.
Those first four games in Seattle might be rough, but Alex Cora's club does have the chance to grab some victories before flying east.
Red Sox Schedule (Opening Homestand)
Tuesday, April 9: vs. Baltimore, 2:10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10: vs. Baltimore, 7:10 p.m.
Thursday, April 11: vs. Baltimore, 7:10 p.m.
Friday, April 12: vs. L.A. Angels, 7:10 p.m.
Saturday, April 13: vs. L.A. Angels, 4:10 p.m.
Sunday, April 14: vs. L.A. Angels, 1:35 p.m.
Monday, April 15: vs. Cleveland, 11:10 a.m. (Patriots' Day)
Tuesday, April 16: vs. Cleveland, 7:10 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17: vs. Cleveland, 7:10 p.m.
Thursday, April 18: vs. Cleveland, 1:35 p.m.
When local fans finally get to see the Red Sox in person, it could be a rough landing. The Orioles are considered a top-five team in MLB, and that three-game set will be a tough one. (The Red Sox went a respectable 6-7 against the Orioles, and 3-3 at Fenway, last year.)
After another three-game series with the Angels, it'll be a four-game set with the Guardians, starting with the annual 11:10 a.m. game on Patriots' Day. Cleveland should be another tough but manageable test for Boston to close out the 10-game homestand.
At that point, the Red Sox will have played 20 games before hitting the road to play in Pittsburgh and Cleveland before ending the month with some interleague games against the Cubs (April 26-28) and Giants (April 30-May 2). Where they'll be at that point is too difficult to speculate. But the opening week and a half of the season at least ensures that it will be difficult for the team to generate much early buzz after a lackluster offseason.