NEWSLETTER
Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we’d take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule.
You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here at Cubs.com, but here’s an overall look at the matchups/dates.
Cubs 2024 Schedule: The First Half
March and April
The Cubs open the season at the end of this month in Texas against the reigning World Series champions. And then, of course, we deal with the worst tradition in baseball: the off-day after Opening Day. It’s my least favorite day of the year, because baseball is FINALLY back and then it isn’t.
That first game is likely going to be started by Justin Steele, but after that it’s anybody’s guess. Shota Imanaga and Kyle Hendricks are good bets, but I could see Jameson Taillon making one of those starts, too. The Game 2 and 3 starters will likely depend on how Craig Counsell sees the matchups, not any particular order or value ranking. That’s just not the type of rotation the Cubs have right now. Maybe that changes if the Cubs wind up signing Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, but I don’t see that happening.
After that first series, the Cubs head back to Wrigley for their first homestand of the year, and it’s against two vastly different teams: The Colorado Rockies (projected for 57 wins) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (projected for 101 wins). The Cubs follow that homestand with a trip out west (never easy) to face the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. Then, they’re back home against the Marlins and Astros. After that, it’s out East to face the Red Sox and Mets.
That’s right, there’s not a single game in the first month of play against the NL Central. Kinda crazy.
Opponents/PECOTA Projections (rounded):
Home: 13 games
Away: 17 games
Off-days: 4
Bright side: The Cubs toughest two series (Dodgers and Astros) are both at home.
Down side: The Cubs have to head out West (which is never easy) and East in one month.
May
The Cubs open up May by finishing up their series against the Mets in New York, before returning home to open up their NL Central play. After not facing a single NL Central team in April, the Cubs have 18(!) games against the NL Central in May.
Generally speaking this month is bitter-sweet. There are not a lot of off-days and there are six games against the Braves, but if you’re not particularly high on the NL Central, this could be an easier month of opponents overall. It’s also the last time the Cubs will have to face the Braves in the regular season.
Opponents/PECOTA Projections (rounded):
Home: 14 games
Away: 15
Off-days: 2
Bright side: 7 games against the Pirates, including four at home, is nice.
Down side: The Cubs have to face the Braves six times and also have a straight 13-game stretch (bleeding into June) against the Braves, Cardinals, Brewers, and Reds. That could be equal parts tough and consequential. And with only two off-days, this could be a very important month.
June
The dog days of the Cubs 2024 schedule begin. June is typically the part of the season when teams begin to separate themselves. And for the Cubs, that means some matchups against other bubble playoff teams like the Reds, Cardinals, Mets, and Brewers. Lose too many games against those teams and the Wild Card could be much more difficult to secure down the line.
Opponents/PECOTA Projections (rounded):
Home: 13 games
Away: 14 games
Off-days: 3
Bright side: Three really well-timed off-days split throughout the month should help with rest.
Down side: The Cubs have to fly from Chicago (vs Mets) to San Francisco (vs Giants) back to Milwaukee without any off-days. That could take a toll.
July
The All-Star break begins (and the first-half of the season ends) on July 15. The Cubs open up July at Wrigley Field with their first look at the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels (now with 100% less Shohei Ohtani). Then, they get an off-day, but finish with two tough series against the Orioles and Cardinals. This will be an absolutely CRITICAL point in the season, with the trade deadline looming.
Home: 6 games
Away: 6 games
Off-days: 2
Bright side: Plenty of rest with an off-day on the first, the 8th, and the All-Star break on the 15th.
Down side: The Orioles and Phillies are both going to be very good.
Cubs 2024 Schedule: The Second Half
July, Part Two
For as inactive as Jed Hoyer can be on the trade market in the offseason, he’s usually a very active mid-season executive. He almost always elects to pick a lane (seller or buyer) and rarely sits on his hands. That’s why the second-half of July is going to be so important. Last year, the Cubs were near-certain sellers before a red-hot start to the second half turned Hoyer’s plans around. And fortunately for the Cubs, their second-half of July schedule this year isn’t terribly difficult:
Obviously, things can/will look different five months from now (the Reds, for example, have some exciting young players that could really change the look of this division by then). But overall, this isn’t a terrible final stretch before the deadline.
Home: 6 games
Away: 6 games
Off-days: 1
Bright side: None of these teams project to be elite.
Down side: Shrug. Nothing major. The deadline can be a distraction if the team is on the bubble, but hopefully, the Cubs are so far in first place it’s all about whom they’ll add.
August
I gotta tell you, the Cubs second-half schedule (especially this August slate) is pretty darn easy relative to the first-half. Not only does August feature nine winnable series, the toughest matchups (Cardinals, Twins, and Blue Jays) are all at home. Plus, there’s FIVE off-days in August and most of the travel is in or near the midwest (Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh). If the Cubs can get through the first half of the season in a good enough position to avoid a sell-off, they can make up some series ground in August.
Home: 13 games
Away: 13 games
Off-days: 5
Bright side: Five off-days in August is just going to be so huge. I’d bet at least one of these days turns into an early-season make-up, but still. That’s a lot of rest near the end of the season. Good stuff.
Down side: This is the last time the Cubs will face the Cardinals and they’ll already be done facing the Brewers. A lack of head-to-head matchups is nice when you’re out front, but if the Cubs are behind, it might make re-taking the NL Central more difficult.
September/October
The final stretch! Nothing would be nicer than an early NL Central clinch, but that doesn’t feel like it’ll be in the cards this year. The NL Central is going to be a dog fight (of lesser dogs … a puppy fight, if you will), with several mediocre teams vying for the top spot. IF the Cubs are able to add one more big free agent now and then also add someone at the deadline, maybe this is a different story. But I think the Cubs playoff hopes will be decided well into September, not unlike it was last year. Such is the Cubs 2024 schedule.
Also, September isn’t nearly as easy as August. There are really solid pockets (especially against some teams that probably will sell at the deadline), but there’s also the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies.
Home: 16
Away: 10
Off-days: 3
Bright side: With any luck, the Nationals, Pirates, Rockies, A’s, and Reds may have all sold off at the deadline, making these games even more winnable.
Down side: Like I mentioned before, the lack of head-to-head matchups against the Cardinals and Brewers could present a challenge if the Cubs are still trailing.
2024 Chicago Cubs Schedule Overall
Overall, the first-half of the Cubs 2024 schedule looks a lot tougher for the Cubs than the second-half of the Cubs 2024 schedule. Obviously, you can’t really project these things this far out, but it sure seems like the goal of the first-half will be to just hang tight (and avoid a sell-off). Because IF the Cubs find themselves in the race come the deadline, this is a great year to be a buyer. The second half is just that easy (and loaded with rest).
And it doesn’t hurt that the Cubs have one of the top farm systems in baseball from which they can trade (and also expect some mid-season promotions).
Bottom line: The opponents, off-days, travel, spread, etc. makes the Cubs 2024 schedule look mighty appealing. Now they just have to go out and play it.
