Rogelio CastilloWoodward Tigers beat reporter

The Detroit Tigers 2023 schedule will remove the large amount of AL Central division games

The Detroit Tigers have released their 2023 schedule. No longer will Detroit play the Royals, Twins, White Sox and Guardians 19 times a season as MLB is rolling out a balanced schedule. Instead, the Tigers will play two home and road series against their American League Central rivals. For the rest of the AL, the Tigers will have a home and road series and at least one home and road against every National League team.

The Tigers’ first six games are rather unforgiving. Detroit will start on the road at Tampa starting on March 30th before heading to Houston on April 3rd. Opening Day will be on April 6th against Boston with the usual off-day scheduled for the next day. If you are looking for a game on the road, here are some to consider.

April 21-23rd: Baltimore Orioles 

May 5th-May 7th: St. Louis Cardinals 

June 30th-July 2nd: Colorado Rockies

The Tigers first played in Denver back in 2003. After that, they visited the mile high city in 2005, 2011, and the last time being in 2017. At one point, the city of Denver was a Detroit Tigers minor league affiliate. From 1960 to 1962, staples from the 1968 World Series roster like Bill Freehan, Don Wert, Dick McAuliffe, Gates Brown and Mickey Lolich all saw time there. Jake Wood, the first Black player who went through the Tigers farm system and Ozzie Virgil, the first Tigers player of color, saw time at Bears Field in 1960. The City of Denver purchased the field at 2755 West in 1967 and converted to Mile High Stadium, which was torn down in 2001. What stands there is a parking lot. Regardless, just 27 minutes is one of the coolest concert venues in the country, the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater.

But no more division rivalries for the Detroit Tigers?

Since the move to the AL Central in 1998, the Tigers have had some heated battles with their division foes. While Tigers fans certainly do not miss the Metrodome at all, to me least, it never lived up to fans who saw Toronto bring in crowds to Tiger Stadium in the 80s when fighting for the AL East crown. With this new balanced schedule, it allows Tigers fans to see the talents from other teams like Sandy Alcantara of Miami. It may a better idea than watching José Ramírez clobber Tigers pitching instead.