Milwaukee Brewers: Breaking Down the 2021 Schedule

Believe it or not, the Milwaukee Brewers 2021 schedule is out just days after the 2020 schedule was released. Here are some initial takeaways.

Is this Deja vu? Just a few days ago, I sat here and gave my quick takeaways from the Milwaukee Brewers 60 game 2020 schedule that had just been released. But to the surprise of many, the MLB decided it was time to release the 2021 schedule the same week and before a single game had even been played this season.

And, to say the least, there are a few interesting quirks with how things shake out for the Brewers. So let’s dive in and see what’s in store for the 2021 season.

The AL Central, Again

Before the 2020 season had to be shortened and changes to the schedule had to be made, the Milwaukee Brewers were supposed to play the AL East in interleague play. However, for travel and safety purposes, they’ll be facing the AL Central this summer, and also once again, in 2021.

Milwaukee will play a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox, a three-game road series against Cleveland, along with a pair of home and road series against Kansas City and Detroit that totals four games each.

But one of the more interesting wrinkles from this schedule is that Milwaukee will open the 2021 season at home against Minnesota, which in recent years has been a divisional series for the Crew. The two teams will end up squaring off six times this season.

Cubs Early, Cardinals Late

Of the Brewers’ first 12 games of the 2021 season, six of them are going to take place against Chicago, and they’ll face the Cubs nine times altogether in the month of April. This, unfortunately, includes six of those nine games at Wrigley Field when the weather is quite unpredictable.

On the back end, Milwaukee faces the St. Louis Cardinals 10 times in September, including seven times in their final 13 games. These games against Chicago and St. Louis are always uber-important to win, and hopefully, the Brewers are playing well during these stretches because about half of their games against each of these two teams are taking place in a matter of weeks.

Tough Finish

Once again, our expectation for the Brewers is that they are going to be competitive just as they have been the last few seasons. However, to secure their recent playoff berths, it’s taken some excellent September performances. And if that’s also the case in 2021, well, finishing with a six-game road series against St. Louis and the Los Angeles Dodgers is a tall task if those are must-win games.

Off Days

Every month the Brewers will have at least three off days, including four in April and September, along with the usual All-Star Break in July. Any additional off days that the Brewers can get in September is always good news as Craig Counsell may be the best manager in baseball when it comes to utilizing those days to his team’s advantage.

An October Finish

Rather than wrapping up at the end of September, Milwaukee’s final game will be played on October 3rd in Los Angeles.

Longest Stretches

The Milwaukee Brewers longest road trip will come in mid-August, where they will play ten games in 11 days, all against the NL Central. They’ll start with a four-game series in Chicago, followed by a three-game series in Pittsburgh, and after an off day, they’ll play three in St. Louis.

Meanwhile, at home, right before they have to finish the season on the road in St. Louis and Los Angeles, the Brewers do at least have ten straight home games on the schedule. This includes three games against the Cubs, four against the Cardinals, and then the New York Mets come to town for the final three.

Lastly, Milwaukee’s longest stretch of games is from June 24th to the All-Star Break, which begins on July 12th. During that span, they’ll play 17 games in a row, 10 of which are at home, and that leaves seven on the road.

If the 2022 schedule is released this weekend, of course, I’ll be back with takeaways from that as well, but for the time being, I think we are done with schedule releases. While it’s always fun to take a look ahead, the Brewers still have a 60 game season in front of them, so let’s enjoy that first.