Looking Ahead: 2013 Blue Jays Schedule

Encarnacion and the Blue Jays can look forward to a fun 2013. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIREWith only 22 games remaining in the Blue Jays 2012 schedule and the current squad currently doing their best to stay above Boston and out of the cellar of the American League East, there is not much left to look forward to in the 2012 season. Needless to say, there is not much hope of Toronto making up the 14.5 game deficits they face in both the Wild Card and in the American League East.

So, we have 2013 to look forward to and with the release of the 2013 schedule, we can start that process today.

Here are some of the highlights from the 2013 schedule:

– For the second straight season season, the Blue Jays open up against the Cleveland Indians. The opening series be in Toronto from April 2-4.

– Interleague Play in 2013 with have some interesting match-ups for the Blue Jays with home series against San Francisco (May 14-15), Atlanta (May 27-28), Colorado (June 17-19), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (July 22-24). They will hit the road for some National League competition against the Braves (May 29-30), Padres (May 31-June 2), the Giants (June 4-5), and the Diamondbacks (September 2-4). The two series with Atlanta represent a home and home series which is generally pretty odd in Major League Baseball. And that says nothing of a September interleague series, which takes the novelty of Interleague play and thrusts it into the heat of the pennant chase.

– Canada Day (July 1st against the Tigers) and Victoria Day (May 20th against the Rays) will both be celebrated on home soil.

– The Blue Jays get their first look at the newest American League team, the Houston Astros with a four-game set in Toronto from July 25-28. They follow that up with a three-game set from August 23-25 in Houston for the only two times the teams meet in 2013.

– They also get their healthy helping of the American League East, with 19 games against each of Boston, New York, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay.

2013 will hopefully mark the next step for Toronto. With a few more good breaks in the health department, the Blue Jays are a team that stands to benefit from the two Wild Card system. And it all starts against Cleveland on April 2nd.