Cincinnati Reds: The 2020 schedule features tough stretch in May

The 2020 MLB schedule was released yesterday. The Cincinnati Reds will battle the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day and face a tough stretch during the month of May.

The schedule makers did not do the Cincinnati Reds any favors next season. A quick glimpse at the 2020 schedule shows the Reds opening the season on Thursday, March 26th against division rival St. Louis before embarking on a six-game road trip. Cincinnati has a tough stretch during the month of May that’ll see the Reds play 17-straight games, 10 of which are on the road.

The Reds will do battle with the American League East this season. The interleague matchups will feature Cincinnati traveling to Joey Votto‘s hometown of Toronto on March 30th. The Reds will also visit Yankee Stadium later that month for a three-game road trip to the Bronx.

The Reds will also make a trip to Beantown for a two-game set with the Red Sox. Cincinnati will then host the 2018 World Champions during September. The Reds also welcome the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays to town in 2020.

The toughest stretch of the 2020 season, however, seems to rest in the early going. To begin the month of May, the Reds will travel to our nation’s capital for a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. Cincinnati then heads north to the city that never sleeps for three games against the New York Mets before flying out to Colorado for a four-game set with the Rockies.

However, that’s not all. Without a day off in between, the Reds then return home for a three-game series with the Miami Marlins. The Reds then wrap up 17 games in 17 days against division foe Milwaukee, as the Brewers and possible back-to-back MVP Christian Yelich visit the Queen City for a four-game set.

The Reds also head into the home stretch with very few games at Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati will play eight games at home during the month of September and 16 on the road. Cincinnati has another long stretch of game without a break, as the Reds play 16 games in 16 days to close out the month of August.

The 2020 season has the potential to be very special for the Cincinnati Reds. The roster will be loaded with three frontline starters in Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray. Rookie sensation Aristides Aquino has shown the potential to take the league by storm and fellow rookie Nick Senzel looks to be a cornerstone for this franchise going forward.

Like any season, the Reds are sure to face some adversity next year, some of which we just outlined. However, I’m a big proponent of what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. If the Reds are as good as we all think they can be, they’re going to have to prove it. Here’s to a playoff run in 2020.