2021 schedule announced, Nats to host Mets in opener

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals Orioles

July 09, 2020, 9:30am

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They aren't 100 percent sure they'll be able to start and complete the 2020 season yet, but Major League Baseball is already moving forward with plans for the 2021 season, releasing next year's schedule two weeks before this unprecedented campaign is set to begin.

The Nationals are scheduled to host the Mets on opening day, which falls on April 1. Their opening homestand features three games apiece with division rivals New York and Atlanta.

The Nats then hit the road and will serve as the Dodgers' home opener opponent on April 9 before heading to St. Louis to conclude the first trip of the season.

Despite being forced to change up its 2020 schedule and limit all play to geographic regions, MLB decided to proceed with the original 2021 interleague plan, which also has teams facing its regional counterparts.

So the Nationals will again face AL East opponents: at the Blue Jays (April 27-28), at the Yankees (May 7-9), versus the Orioles (May 21-23), at the Rays (June 8-9), versus the Rays (June 29-30), at the Orioles (July 23-25), versus the Blue Jays (Aug. 17-18) and a season-ending home series versus the Red Sox (Oct. 1-3).

Thus, the Nationals will miss out on facing the AL West, which was the original 2020 plan. They won't have an opportunity to play at Texas for the first time since 2005, nor to face former teammate Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Angels last winter.

All of this, of course, is subject to change, as we've learned over the last four months.

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