Atlanta Braves: Highlights of the 2021 Season Schedule

We take a look at some of the highlights for the Atlanta Braves after the 2021 schedule was released by Major League Baseball this week.

In a bit of shock, MLB decided to release it’s 2021 MLB schedule the same week it released the shortened 2020 schedule. Now we know what the path will look like for the Atlanta Braves next year in what we hope is a much more normal season.

Uninterestingly enough, the Braves will match-up again with the American League East in 2021.

Maybe they thought it best to still limit travel next year, or perhaps it was just time for the Braves to play the NL East again.

They were supposed to play the NL West in 2020 and we would have gotten to see Mike Trout come to Atlanta. I don’t know why they couldn’t have just used that same schedule again in 2021, but I digress.

Opening Day: This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Braves fans, but we’ll once again start the season on the road. And just like the 2019 season, the Braves will start the year in Philadelphia on April 1.

Hopefully they get off to a better start than they did in 2019.

Braves Home Opener: They don’t play their first home game until April 9 when they will once again play the Phillies, which is who they played in their home opener in 2018.

Think we could mix it up a little more going forward.?

Interleague Opponents: As I said, they’ll matchup with the AL East against just like they are in the shortened 2020 season.

At that point, I still the Orioles will be pushovers, but I could see everyone else in that division being contenders.

The Red Sox won’t stand for multiple years of re-tooling. Toronto’s young players should be ready to compete, and Tampa Bay is always pesky.

And then, of course, the Yankees will once again be heavy favorites to win the World Series.

For those who love road trips and visiting others stadiums, you’ll have a chance to go to Fenway on May 25. And as someone who has had the pleasure of going there several times, I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, if you want go to Yankee Stadium you’ll have to do it in the middle of April when temperatures will likely still be in the 50s — that makes a lot of sense, right.?

Big Division Matchups: After starting the season with a road trip to Philly, the Braves will then go to Washington for three goes so we’ll get an early barometer of how each of the division favorites stack up.

The Braves have an eight-game road trip at the end of July in which they play four games in Philly and four in New York against the Mets. That could go a long way in weeding out the division race before the trade deadline.

They play the Nationals six times in August and then three more times at the beginning of September in what will likely decide the division.

And then the Braves finish the year at home with three against the Phillies and three against the Mets. Hopefully both of them are out of the race at that point, but if not, that could be a really fun homestand to end the regular season.

Also, if you’re still salty about how the 2019 season ended and hate the St. Louis Cardinals as I do, they come to town on June 17.

In all honesty, this schedule is a major letdown from the one we were supposed to see in 2020. I’m not happy at all with how they put the 2021 schedule together and think it was just lazy on MLB’s part.

But one thing is for sure, I certainly hope we get to play that entire schedule and fans are back in the stands for the 2021 season.

Let us know in the comments below what series you’re looking forward to in 2021.