Key Takeaways, Changes from the 2015 MLB Schedule Release
As the 2014 MLB season hits its boiling point with under a month to go before the postseason kicks off, the league released its schedule for the 2015 regular season on Monday afternoon.
This may seem like an odd time for baseball fans to be turning their attention to next season, and for contenders that is admittedly true.
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Tom Hart of ESPN was quick to point out the questionable timing of the schedule release.
It's a fair point, but the majority of teams fall under the category of non-contender at this point, and those fanbases were already looking ahead to 2015 season to begin with.
This puts a face to who they will be squaring off against when "next year" begins. So let's kick things off with a look at how all 30 MLB teams open the season next year:
| San Francisco Giants | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Chicago Cubs |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Cincinnati Reds |
| Minnesota Twins | Detroit Tigers |
| Cleveland Indians | Houston Astros |
| Chicago White Sox | Kansas City Royals |
| San Diego Padres | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Atlanta Braves | Miami Marlins |
| Colorado Rockies | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Toronto Blue Jays | New York Yankees |
| Texas Rangers | Oakland Athletics |
| Boston Red Sox | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Los Angeles Angels | Seattle Mariners |
| Baltimore Orioles | Tampa Bay Rays |
| New York Mets | Washington Nationals |
Two matchups that immediately stand out are the Angels vs. Mariners in the American League and the Cubs vs. Cardinals in the National League.
As things stand right now, the Angels/Mariners series would be the only matchup between postseason teams, while the Cubs/Cardinals get underway with a rivalry series right out of the box.
It has yet to be determined who will play in the Sunday night opener this year, but all 30 teams will be in action the following day on Monday, April 6.
That may not seem like a significant date on the surface, but looking down the road that puts the final day of the regular season on Oct. 4.
That means the earliest the World Series could begin would be Oct. 21, according to MLB.com. Depending on how things play out, we could potentially see baseball in November for the first time since the 2010 season.
The San Francisco Giants wrapped up their title run with a Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers on Nov. 1, 2010.
So what type of bearing could the schedule play on who reaches that aforementioned postseason and potentially the World Series?
First off, there is no shortage of in-division drama that could unfold on the final day of the season, as MLB.com was quick to point out on Twitter that there are 12 divisional games slated for the final day of the season.
Here is a full look at how each team will wrap up the 2015 season:
| Houston Astros | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Atlanta Braves |
| New York Yankees | Baltimore Orioles |
| Detroit Tigers | Chicago White Sox |
| Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Indians |
| San Diego Padres | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Chicago Cubs | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Kansas City Royals | Minnesota Twins |
| Washington Nationals | New York Mets |
| Miami Marlins | Philadelphia Phillies |
| Cincinnati Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Colorado Rockies | San Francisco Giants |
| Oakland Athletics | Seattle Mariners |
| Toronto Blue Jays | Tampa Bay Rays |
| Los Angeles Angels | Texas Rangers |
The other big item of note surrounds interleague play, which has become a daily staple this season as opposed to the midseason event it was in years past.
The 2015 interleague schedule will line up across divisions, with the NL East facing the AL East, NL Central facing the AL Central and NL West facing the AL West.
The presence of the designated hitter continues to be perhaps the biggest dividing line between the two leagues, and there is a notable disadvantage to AL teams that are forced to go without the DH during a crucial series down the stretch.
The Toronto Blue Jays (at ATL), New York Yankees (at NYM), Baltimore Orioles (at WAS) and Houston Astros (at ARI) are the four American League teams with road series against a National League opponent after Sept. 1 of next season, so that's something to keep an eye on as well.
More storylines will obviously emerge following an offseason of free agency and trades, but already there are a few games each team's fanbase can circle on next year's schedule.
It may seem like a long way off, but for teams already looking ahead to the 2015 season, the schedule release gives a first look at what they'll have to look forward to.
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