- Editor's Note: "Breaking down the 2023 White Sox schedule" originally appeared on Sox on 35th. You can read more of their coverage at SoxOn35th.com, and follow them on Twitter at @SoxOn35th.
Now that full teams have reported to spring training across the league, Opening Day is under six weeks away! For the White Sox, that means a trip to Houston to square off against the reigning World Series champions and their new first baseman, Jose Abreu. Yet there are many other important details to note about the season schedule in the meantime.
First, the league-wide changes: MLB has rearranged the schedule to include far more interleague games and far fewer intra-division games. Specifically, division games decreased from 76 to 52, inter-league games jumped from 20 to 46, and non-division league games lightly shifted from 66 to 64. Each team will play every other team in the league for at least three games, a momentous shift from the format of the last 21 years.
Some other notable features:
- The season starts Thursday, March 30 for all 30 teams
- The crosstown series with the Chicago Cubs will be four games total, two at each venue
- The longest streak of consecutive games for the White Sox is 16, twice
- The South Siders are light on seven-game weeks and heavy on first-half games
Let's identify some key takeaways from each month's slate of matchups that the White Sox and their fans will need to pay attention to throughout the season.
March/April
After three games to kick things off in Houston, the White Sox return to Guaranteed Rate Field for their home opener vs. San Francisco on Monday, April 3. A week later, a crucial stretch begins - Chicago plays either the Twins or an above-.500 (in 2022) team in each contest until May 4. The NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies come to town for three games in the midst of that on April 17, their first trip to the South Side since August of 2016.
MLB
May
Things don't get any more comfortable after that, as the Sox play 20 division games in May. In a month where contenders begin to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, that's an opportunity for the White Sox to make a statement. Notably, Jose Abreu makes his return to Guaranteed Rate Field on May 12.