IL Worcester Red Sox

2021 Worcester Red Sox Schedule Unveiled

Published on February 18, 2021 under International League (IL)
Worcester Red Sox News Release


WORCESTER, MA - The Worcester Red Sox are pleased to announce that they will christen their new home - Polar Park in Worcester's Canal District - on Tuesday, April 13 when they host the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The historic Opening Day at Polar Park will come one week after the WooSox begin their inaugural season, as the club starts the 2021 season on Tuesday, April 6 at New York Yankees' Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The season-opener on April 6 will mark the first game for the Boston Red Sox Triple-A franchise in 582 days since the Pawtucket Red Sox beat Lehigh Valley on September 2, 2019 in what turned out to be the final game at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket. The 2020 Minor League season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WooSox will begin their rendezvous with destiny with a six-game season-opening series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in Moosic, PA from April 6-11. After a scheduled off-day on April 12, the Worcester Red Sox will make their Polar Park debut on April 13 to begin what will amount to a 12-game homestand in 13-days from April 13-25. The homestand will feature a six-game series vs. the IronPigs and then, following an off-day on April 19, will resume with a six-game set vs. the Rochester Red Wings (AAA-Washington) from April 20-25 to conclude the first-ever homestand at Polar Park.

The 2021 playing schedule is subject to change if delays occur to the Major or Minor League season due to the COVID-19 virus. The WooSox will announce game times, their promotion and special event schedule, and ticket prices and availability in the coming weeks.

The WooSox will play in the newly-formed Triple-A East League - an expanded league of 20 teams (six more than the 14 clubs that made up the International League). The WooSox will be in the Northeast Division and will face an intradivision-only schedule during the 2021 season. Worcester will host Lehigh Valley 18 times, the Yankees of Scranton/WB for 16 games, and 12 games each against Rochester, the Syracuse Mets (AAA-New York Mets), and the Buffalo Bisons (AAA-Toronto). For this season, Worcester will not play their usual opponents from the former IL West (Columbus, Toledo, Indianapolis, and Louisville) or the former IL South (Norfolk, Durham, Charlotte, and Gwinnett). Six additional clubs will be joining Triple-A East: Memphis, Nashville, Iowa, and Omaha from the former Pacific Coast League and new Triple-A franchises the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the St. Paul Saints.

The WooSox will play 70 home games compared to 72 road games. Worcester's home schedule has the following breakdown by month: April (12), May (12), June (14), July (13), August (13), and September (6). The regular-season ends on September 19 in Syracuse while the home schedule at Polar Park concludes on September 12 vs. Lehigh Valley. There will be no playoffs this season nor will there be a Triple-A All-Star Game (although the league will take three days off during the Major League All-Star break from July 12-14). The WooSox will also host the Yankees' affiliate Scranton/WB for an Independence Day Weekend series on Friday July 2, Saturday July 3, and Sunday July 4.

The newly-designed 2021 schedule features a unique format with virtually every series played consisting of six games in a row vs. the same opponent. The WooSox are slated for 23 different six-game series this season compared to just one that is not six games...a four-game set from July 15-18 at home vs. Scranton/WB (just after the All-Star break). Another interesting feature of the 2021 slate is the fact every Monday throughout the entire season will be a scheduled off-day for every team. That amounts to 23 Mondays off from April 12 - September 13, and coupled with off-days on Tuesday, July 13 and Wednesday, July 14 during the All-Star break, players will enjoy a total of 25 off-days this season. That compares to just 12 off-days that were scheduled during the 2020 season.

Check out the Worcester Red Sox Statistics

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International League Stories from February 18, 2021


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