Scouting the Easiest Second-Half Schedules
By Ryan Stetson
Covers.com
As the dog days of summer set in, it’s hard for MLB teams to put out their best effort every time they climb out of the dugout. That’s when a soft second-half schedule can really give teams a break.
Evaluating the schedules for the remainder of the season is hardly an exact science. Teams go through streaks and slumps, suffer major injures, and see big name players come and go around the trade deadline.
Still, some teams clearly face an easier road down the stretch than others. By the numbers, American League clubs generally face tougher schedules than that of the teams in the Senior Circuit because the AL is just better than the NL. It’s that simple.
With that in mind, here’s a look at three teams that face some of the easiest schedules in baseball as they try to secure their playoff spots.
Pittsburgh Pirates: 45-36, +17.32 units
The Pirates are running away with the MLB money standings, almost four units ahead of the second-place Baltimore Orioles, and it looks the Bucs could build on their booty. The Pirates’ remaining opponents own just a .459 winning percentage. They have 42 of their 81 remaining games at home, where they have pocketed better than 13 units with a 26-13 record.
The longest stretch they’re away from home is a 10-game set later this month, but they should be able to build some momentum early in that trip, visiting Houston for four games before playing three at Wrigley Field. They finish that swing with three more at Cincinnati and close out the season with six games at home.
San Francisco Giants: 45-37, +6.63 units
The Giants trail the Dodgers by just a half a game and will be looking to make some hay in the second half. Their remaining opponents own a .471 winning percentage.
San Francisco doesn’t spend more than seven straight games on the road for the rest of the year and the club has 10 straight home games before visiting the Padres and Dodgers to finish the season. The Giants will likely hold their own destiny in the pennant race with four series left against the Dodgers – two home, two away.
Chicago White Sox: 44-37, +5.73 units
The AL Central-leading White Sox have the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the American League. Chicago’s remaining opponents own a .497 winning percentage. The White Sox have been dominant on the road so far, going 23-16 as visitors to net more than 11 units.
They’ll need to keep that going and come out of the All-Star break hot with a stretch that sees them play 13 of 16 games on the road beginning July 13. If they ever get their game together at home, they’ll be really dangerous.
Scouting the Toughest Second-Half Schedules
By Ryan Stetson
Covers.com
You could be sitting around a crystal ball with Aladdin and still have no idea what lies ahead in the second half of the MLB season.
Nobody predicted that the Baltimore Orioles would be hanging around in the AL East this deep in the season and everybody left the St. Louis Cardinals for dead before they put together an incredible run to win the title last season.
There’s a lot to factor in when you’re trying to determine which teams have the toughest schedules. For example, if you go strictly by the numbers and look at remaining opponents’ current winning percentage, we could just list the entire AL East.
It’s easily the most competitive division in baseball, but what’s the fun in that? These are the three teams that face the toughest road in the second half.
All stats compiled before Thursday’s action.
Baltimore Orioles: 44-37, +13.70 units
The winning percentage of Baltimore’s remaining opponents (.515) is actually a touch lower than that of the Tampa Bay Rays (.522), but we need to take a look at the O’s considering they rank second in MLB money standings. Plus, their strength of schedule in games played to date (.524) tops the bigs.
The Orioles sit in second place in the division at five games back of the Yanks and don’t catch any breaks for the rest of the season. They have 42 road games compared to 39 home dates and finish the year with 12 of their last 18 games on the highway. It’s going to be vtough, but it’s worth noting the O’s have earned almost 12 of their units to date on the road.
Oakland Athletics: 41-42, +7.48
The A’s are in third place in the AL West, 9.5 games back of the Texas Rangers. They’re going to have a tough time cutting into that deficit. Oakland’s remaining opponents’ winning percentage checks in at .520 and the club will face a major grind at the end of the season.
The A’s have a 10-game road trip on the schedule at the end of September with stops in Detroit, New York and Texas. They then go home for a three-game set against the Mariners before getting another kick in the face with the Rangers coming to town for another trio of contests to end the season. Not looking good for A’s supporters.
New York Mets: 42-38, 11.29 units
The Mets’ remaining opponents check in with a .498 winning percentage, which is the highest among any playoff contenders in the National League. They are in a dogfight in the NL East, trailing the division-leading Nationals by 4.5 games.
New York will need to keep it together on a 11-game western road swing that spans from July 26 to Aug. 5. The Mets then finish the season with three games in Atlanta followed by three more in Miami.