With three weeks remaining in the regular season, four American League East teams are within 2.0 games of a playoff berth. In a race this close, every advantage matters, even the schedule.
In that respect, the Baltimore Orioles may have an edge. The AL East teams play one another a ton down the stretch, so all five teams finish the year with tougher-than-average schedules, but the Orioles do get to face the struggling Diamondbacks in their lone series outside of the division. They also play 11 of their remaining games at Camden Yards, where they’re 45-25 this year.
By way of comparison, the Toronto Blue Jays face a manageable slate of opponents, but they have to travel to the West Coast, and that additional travel can take a toll. Here’s a closer look at the remaining schedule for all four AL East contenders…
| Team | Record | Weighted Opponent Winning % | Home Games | Road Games | West Coast Games | Days Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sox | 80-62 | .525 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Blue Jays | 78-64 | .505 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 1 |
| Orioles | 78-64 | .505 | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Yankees | 76-66 | .537 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
Red Sox
Remaining schedule: vs. Orioles, vs. Yankees, @ Orioles, @ Rays, @ Yankees, vs. Blue Jays
The good news for the Red Sox: they’re finally back home after a tough three-city road trip to Oakland, San Diego and Toronto. The bad news: they play exclusively within the division from here on, so the teams chasing them will have many chances to make up ground.
Blue Jays
Remaining schedule: vs. Rays, @ Angels, @ Mariners, vs. Yankees, vs. Orioles, @ Red Sox
The Blue Jays face two sub-.500 teams before finishing their schedule against AL East contenders. Next up: three home games against the Rays, who have a .373 winning percentage on the road in 2016.
Orioles
Remaining schedule: @ Red Sox, vs. Rays, vs. Red Sox, vs. Diamondbacks, @ Blue Jays, @ Yankees
By no means do the Orioles have it easy, but they have the chance to make up some ground against the division-leading Red Sox in the next 10 days. Those three games against the Diamondbacks also represent a great chance to make up ground.
Yankees
Remaining schedule: vs. Dodgers, @ Red Sox, @ Rays, @ Blue Jays, vs. Red Sox, vs. Orioles
The Yankees have to face the Dodgers this week, with a Wednesday afternoon date against baseball’s best pitcher, Clayton Kershaw. All told, the Yankees have the toughest schedule in the division, so they’ll need to keep beating the odds if they’re going to return to the playoffs.
