Arizona Diamondbacks Start 2016 Season at Home

Sep 7, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock (11) hits a solo home run during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

It is never too early to talk about next season is it? Major League Baseball has unveiled a tentative schedule for the 2016 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks opening up for the second straight year at home. You can take a look at it here. The D-backs will be facing a National League West rival to start but it will be the Colorado Rockies instead of the San Francisco Giants. After the Rockies leave town, Arizona goes right into a four game set with the Chicago Cubs, also at Chase Field.

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After an off day on Monday, April 11th, the Snakes head out on the road for the first time. On Tuesday, they help ring in Vin Scully’s final year broadcasting at Dodgers Stadium with a trip to Los Angeles for three games. After that, they drive down the California coast for three days in San Diego to play the Padres. This is where the schedule gets wacky. After San Diego, the D-backs head to Northern California for a four games series against the Giants. Logic would dictate you either start at the bottom and work your way up or at the top and work your way down. Not so in this case and to make matters worse, this trip on the coast is ten games in ten days.

Taken as a whole, the games in April are a rough way to start the season. Normally, teams get two or even three off days to begin the season. Not the D-backs. The only day off is that Monday and the next time they are idle is on May 2nd. The quality of the opponents that first month also presents a big challenge. In addition to the Cubs, Arizona returns from their California trip with three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates and four against the St. Louis Cardinals. So in addition to the Dodgers who are most likely going to wrap up the division, they will face all three, probably playoff-bound National League Central teams. If the D-backs somehow come out of April over .500, it could be a special season.