What You Need to Know About the Tribe’s 2017 Schedule

The 2016 season is far from over, with pennant races and wild card chases heating up more and more every day. But it’s never too early to take a look at what to expect from the 2017 schedule.

After Wednesday night’s 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians are 84-61, hold a six-game lead in the American League Central Division, and have a magic number of just 12. Cleveland controls its own postseason destiny, and is aiming for its first divisional championship since 2007.

Being in the thick of the pennant race makes it seem strange to be discussing the 2017 season, yet Major League Baseball released next year’s schedule on Tuesday, so here we are.

The (hopefully World Champion) Indians open next year’s campaign on April 3rd on the road against the Texas Rangers, part of a six-game season-opening roadtrip out west that also includes three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting away from home may actually benefit both the Tribe and its fans, as we all know how early April at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario can be a crapshoot weatherwise.

Cleveland’s home opener will be played on April 11th against the White Sox, and kicks off a six-game homestand that will also bring the Detroit Tigers to town.

In interleague play, the Indians will of course play the four-game home-and-home series with the Cincinnati Reds in the annual “Battle of Ohio,” and will face off against the teams of the National League West Division – the Dbacks, San Diego Padres, Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Highlights of the schedule for the Tribe include a three-game midweek series at home in June against the Dodgers (praying for a Kershaw-Kluber matchup), a 16-game stretch in late August and early September in which the club will face off against the Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, and Detroit Tigers all in a row, and a season-long 10-game homestand in mid-September.

The all-star break will take place July 10th through the 13th, with the Midsummer Classic being played on July 11th at Marlins Park in Miami.

Next: What Will it Take for a Second #CyKluber?

There’s still a lot of baseball to be played in 2016, and the Tribe has high aspirations for a deep playoff run. But the beauty of baseball is its timelessness, its reliability, and thinking about the schedule for next season is something of a comfort. We know that, no matter what happens this year, baseball will be back again with the promise of new possibilities.