Ohtani, 1973 World Series champs, Melvin’s return among Oakland A’s 2023 schedule highlights

Opening Day is finally here, and the rebuilding A’s are eager to put last season’s 102-loss performance behind them and get back into the thick of the AL West title mix.

The A’s open the 2023 season at home against Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels, and have a home-heavy schedule for the first seven weeks.

Here’s a look at some of the A’s series this season that are worth circling on your calendar.

March 30-April 2 vs. LA Angels

If an A’s-Angels season opener in Oakland seems familiar, it should. This will be the fifth time in seven seasons the Angels play their first game of a season in Oakland. (It’s the fourth time for the A’s, because they opened the 2019 season in Japan before hosting L.A). Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is pitching against the As on Opening Day and new A’s right-hander Shintaro Fujinami is scheduled to make his debut in Game 2, but watch out for a matchup between the two former Japanese high school rivals later in the season.

April 14-16 vs. New York Mets

The Mets play in Oakland for just the fifth time in franchise history, and, conveniently enough, 50 years after their first appearance at the Coliseum – for the 1973 World Series. The second of the A’s three straight title wins will be honored before the series finale on Sunday. This is the second year in a row both New York teams will visit the Coliseum (the Yankees play June 27-29.) Before last season, that had happened just three times – including the 1973 World Series.

May 2-4 vs. Seattle Mariners

The new balanced schedule means fewer games against divisional opponents – 52 times instead of 76 – but May will be A.L. West-heavy for the A’s. The A’s open May with 16 games against division rivals in 27 days, starting with their first look at the Mariners. Seattle returned to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years last season and appears poised for a run at the division crown. The A’s will face star Julio Rodriguez and the Mariners seven times in May.

May 29-31 vs. Atlanta Braves

Nobody has contributed more material to the A’s organizational rebuild than the Braves, who have sent eight players to Oakland in trades since last March. Former top Braves prospects Shea Langeliers and Kyle Muller have developed most quickly, and it could be that as many as six of those former Braves could face their old team. Of course, the A’s will have to face Matt Olson and Sean Murphy, who each won Gold Gloves and received MVP votes with Oakland.

June 9-11 at Milwaukee Brewers

Because of the old interleague schedule rotation, the A’s haven’t played teams from the N.L. Central since 2019. They haven’t played in Milwaukee or Cincinnati since 2016, their longest gap between games against any active teams. That changes in 2023 because of the balanced schedule, with home games against Cubs and Reds, and trips to St. Louis, Pittsburgh and, finally, a return to American Family Field (known as Miller Park until 2021), where they are 2-3 in two visits.

July 20-23 vs. Houston Astros

The A’s and defending World Series champion Astros enter the season on different trajectories, but they share one distinction: They are the only teams to have won the division title since 2017. The A’s won the West in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and finished second to the Astros twice during this stretch that, other than Jose Altuve (who should be back after breaking his thumb during the World Baseball Classic) and Alex Bregman, has seen most of the significant heroes and villains from both sides move on to other teams.

Aug. 5-6 vs. the Giants

Unlike last season, when the Bay Bridge Series games were broken up by more than a three-month gap, this year’s edition will resume in Oakland 10 days after they meet across the Bay. The A’s hold a 45-34 all-time home edge, but have lost seven of the past 10 games at the Coliseum. Jason Giambi, Carney Lansford, Gene Tenace, Bob Johnson and longtime PA announcer Roy Steele will be inducted into the A’s Hall of Fame before Sunday’s finale.

Aug. 18-20 vs. Baltimore Orioles

This series will decide who did it better for less. The A’s entered spring training with a projected season payroll of about $41 million. The Orioles were next at $51 million. Both teams are rebuilding, although Baltimore has a leg up on the A’s because it is a couple of years into the makeover. The O’s nearly captured a wild-card berth last season, and their top prospects are starting to contribute in the majors, led by catcher Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.

Sept. 4-6 vs. Toronto Blue Jays

The Astros and Yankees enter the season as the trendy picks to win the A.L. pennant, but Toronto might be the most exciting team in the majors. There are the stars: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Alek Manoah and George Springer, but the addition of former A’s All-Stars and fan favorites Matt Chapman (last season) and Chris Bassitt (over the winter) are what might land the Jays in the World Series for the first time in 30 years.

Sept. 15-17 vs. San Diego Padres

A’s fans will always have a soft spot for Bob Melvin, the Bay Area native who guided the team to the postseason six times in his 11 seasons as manager before taking over the Padres job last season. Since the move came about a month after the 2021 season and the A’s played in San Diego last year, this will be the first time “BoMel” will be back in the Coliseum. It figures to be one of the most anticipated returns of the 2020-era teardown.