Amidst the end of the 2022 season, the MLB released a new format in late August for their 2023 season schedule. Each team will still play 162 regular-season games, but what are the matchup changes within the league?

For the last two decades, the MLB focused on divisional games in their schedules. The new adjustments decrease the number of divisional games from 76 to 52, allowing teams to face each of their division opponents 13 times.

“I’m really interested to see how it changes the game and how the players will adapt to a different schedule,” FHS baseball player Jackson Zinna said.

As 24 less games will be played within a division, how will these games be dispersed elsewhere? Barely any changes will occur to intraleague games; as each league will play 64 games, two less than last year’s 66 intraleague matches.

The number of interleague games is the biggest revision in the updated schedule. For years, teams only played 20 games outside of the American or National League. Now, each team will compete in 46 interleague games. For the first time ever, this allows all 30 clubs to face each other in a single regular season.

The MLB’s new schedule encourages a larger audience for the 2023 season, as fans will be enthusiastic about seeing unique matchups and long-established interleague rivalries in a single year.

“I like how every team plays each other,” FHS student Anthony Iriti said. “It gets kind of old seeing the Pirates play St. Louis a bunch, play another team, then go back to St. Louis again.”

These schedule adjustments reinforce the postseason bracket change that occurred this year. More league-wide games levels out the wins and losses, making it easier for teams with skilled divisions and harder for teams with weak divisions to enter the playoffs.

Divisional matches still make up about one-third of regular season games, so top seeds can be fairly declared.

“It’s good progress for the MLB,” senior Gaben Helms added. “Now every team will become more diverse in their ability and will have a better idea of who is the better team.”

All 30 MLB teams are set to play on Opening Day, Jackie Robinson Day, Lou Gehrig Day, Independence Day, Roberto Clemente Day, and Game 162. Game 162 is the final day of the regular season, where every club plays their final game on the same day.

“I don’t like that all of the teams play on all of those days,” senior Brayden Knisely stated. “It’s so many games to play and watch in a single day.”