NEWSLETTER
Today is MLB’s stated deadline for a new CBA, or else they start taking the axe to regular season games, beginning with the March 31 Opening Day.
Since the games would not be made up and are simply lost from the schedule, I got curious what games the Cubs would stand to lose if, for example, April was lost. Does it project to be … good for them? Bad for them? Again, I was *JUST CURIOUS.*
The Cubs are currently set to open the season in Cincinnati against the Reds on March 31. Through the end of April, this is how things break down, in order:
3 at the Reds
2 hosting the Cardinals
4 hosting the Brewers
2 at the Pirates
4 at the Rockies
3 hosting the Rays
4 hosting the Pirates
3 at the Braves
2 at the Brewers
So the Cubs would lose 13 home games if they were cancelled through April, and 14 road games. Mostly a wash. In terms of opponents, you’ve got roughly 13 games against “bad” teams and 14 games against “good” teams. Again, mostly a wash. Losing the series out in Colorado is probably a net win, because although they are supposed to be bad, that’s always a trap series heading out west into the air. The Rockies, even when terrible, play really well at home. Chopping out a trip to Atlanta is never a bad thing.
You’d hate to lose almost 1/3 of your entire season slate against the Pirates. Losing the same amount against the Brewers, though … maybe balances out?
From a fan perspective, it would suck to lose the home opener against the Cardinals and the three-game interleague set against the Rays.
On the whole, I don’t know that April is disproportionately anything for the Cubs. Losing a month of games would suck, badly, for all of its own reasons. But I don’t know that it would impact the Cubs any more or less – competitively or fan speaking – than it would impact any other club. Well, unless you are of the mind that the Cubs are absolutely guaranteed to suck horribly in 2022 no matter what, in which case maybe you are so deeply rotted that you’re just like, welp, a month closer to the end of the crap and more minor league games to follow …
For me, personally, I just don’t want to see any games lost – not only because I like all the games and I don’t want to see the sport negatively impacted by all of this, but also because I think the Cubs *DO* have a lot to play for early in the year. For one, a slim chance to stay in the race up to the Trade Deadline. For another, the Cubs have quite a few guys that we all kinda want to see what they can be in 2022 (for future evaluation purposes). Thus, I want all the early-season games we can get.
