If you have been following any news about the announced schedule of games for baseball in 2024, you see that Fox and ESPN give us the same group of teams time after time, no wonder people call baseball a regional sport. Memo, before expansion, it was truly a regional sport confined to Chicago, St. Louis, New York, Washington-Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Boston. MLB shares just about all its markets with the NFL, the largest combination of shared markets in sports among the five major sports leagues in the US and Canada. The truth is, MLB has not held its media partners to account for such short sited programming. This is where Apple has to its credit tried to show every team at least once or twice per season. the one thing I don’t like is how the service is advertised as two Friday night games, but often they are lined up against one another. Teams can change the start times of games on the fly to accommodate TV, so with that in mind, here’s a proposed schedule of games for the Friday night’s from March 29 through August 16, covering 21 weeks and 42 games. The remaining Friday’s of August 23 through September 20 should be left for compelling matchups based on the status of the pennant races, Apple currently doesn’t have a Friday night game the final week of the regular season, at least that is how it was done in past years. Where adjustments are needed to start times, you will see those noted. I kept one cubs game as a day game.
Friday March 29, Blue Jays at Rays (6:50 ET), Giants at Padres (scheduled for 9:40 ET, move it to 10:05).
Friday April 5, Phillies at Nationals (6:45 ET), Red Sox at Angels, (scheduled at 9:38 ET, move it to 10:00).
Friday April 12, Brewers at Orioles (7:05 ET), Cubs at mariners (scheduled for 9:40 ET, move it to 10:10).
Friday April 19, Tigers at Twins (scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 7:10), Diamondbacks at Giants (10:15 ET).
Friday April 26, Dodgers at Blue Jays (7:07 ET), Pirates at mariners (scheduled 9:40 ET, move it to 10:10).
Friday May 3, Brewers at Cubs (2:20 ET), Orioles at Reds (6:10 ET).
Friday May 10, Astros at Tigers (scheduled 6:40 ET, move to 6:10), Rangers at Rockies (scheduled 8:40 ET, move to 9:10).
Friday May 17, White Sox at Yankees (7:05 ET), Reds at Dodgers (10:10 ET).
Friday May 24, Braves at Pirates (6:40 ET), Marlins at Diamondbacks (9:40 ET).
Friday May 31, Athletics at Braves (7:20 ET move it to 7:10), Yankees at Giants (10:15 ET).
Friday June 7, Mariners at Royals (scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 6:10), Rockies at Cardinals (scheduled 8:15 ET, move it to 9:15).
Friday June 14, Guardians at Blue Jays (7:07 ET), White Sox at Diamondbacks (scheduled 9:40 ET, move it to 10:10).
Friday June 21, Rays at Cubs (scheduled 2:20 ET, move it to 6:05), Nationals at Rockies (scheduled 8:40 ET, move it to 9:10).
Friday June 28, Reds at Cardinals (Scheduled 8:15 ET, move it to 7:35), Dodgers at Giants (Scheduled 10:15 ET, move it to 10:35).
Friday July 5, Cardinals at Nationals (scheduled 6:45 ET, move it to 6:05), Rays at Rangers (8:05 ET move it to 9:05).
Friday July 12, Athletics at Phillies (6:40 ET), Braves at Padres (9:40 ET).
Friday July 19, Mets at Marlins (7:10 ET), Red Sox at dodgers (10:10 ET).
Friday July 26, Cubs at Royals (scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 7:10), Pirates at Diamondbacks (scheduled 9:40 ET, move it to 10:10).
Friday August 2, Orioles at Guardians (scheduled 7:10 ET, move it to 6:10), White Sox at Twins scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 9:10).
Friday August 9, Reds at Brewers (scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 6:10), Cubs at white Sox (scheduled 8:10 ET, move it to 9:10).
Friday August 16, Yankees at Tigers (6:40 ET), Braves at Angels (scheduled 9:38 ET, move it to 9:45).
Blind Baseball Perspective 