Battle Tested Early: Mariners Have A Tough Schedule To Start 2014

Feb 25, 2014; Mesa, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman

(22) takes fielding practice during camp at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

The First 41 Games:

Yes, Robinson Cano is correct– the first 16 games are played against the three top teams in the AL West from last season. Seven straight on the road to start.

This is how the first forty-one games of the 2014 Mariners schedule shakeout:

• March 31-April 2 at the Angels
• April 3-6 at the Athletics
• April 8-9 versus the Angels (I strongly dislike the two game series)
• April 11-13 versus the Athletics
• April 14-17 at the Rangers
• April 18-20 at the Miami Marlins (the first reprieve of the season)
• April 21-23 versus the Astros (well, yeah they’re in the AL West still)
• April 25-27 versus the Rangers
• April 29-May 1 at the New York Yankees (Cano’s homecoming of sorts should be very interesting)
• May 2-4 at the Astros
• May 5-7 at the Athletics
• May 8-11 versus the Kansas City Royals
• May 12-14 versus the Tampa Bay Rays
• May 16-18 at the Minnesota Twins

Those are the first 14 series of the season. (14 is my lucky number.)

Sure, the Angels didn’t win a lot of games last year, but they are too talented not to be considered a serious threat. Aside from those few games against the Astros and the Marlins, the Mariners will be proving early whether or not this is going to be a season worth watching.