WooSox ’23 Debuts in March at Polar Park; Opening Day Is Friday, March 31
October 26, 2022 – International League (IL) – Worcester Red Sox News Release
WORCESTER, MA – In conjunction with Major League Baseball, the Worcester Red Sox today announced their 2023 schedule, a 150-game slate including 75 home games at Polar Park for the second straight year. The WooSox open the 2023 season on Friday, March 31 when they host the Syracuse Mets at 4:05 p.m. at Polar Park. The March 31st Opening Day marks the earliest a Red Sox Triple-A franchise has ever begun a season. The WooSox and Mets will play a 3-game opening weekend series that will also feature games on Saturday, April 1 at 4:05 p.m. and Sunday, April 2 at 1:05 p.m.
Individual tickets for the 2023 season will go on sale in December on a date to be announced. Season tickets are currently available by calling the WooSox ticket office at 508-500-8888.
The WooSox will also unveil an exciting new promotional calendar for the 2023 season next month that will be filled with unique food and beverage offerings, snazzy alternative jerseys, fun nightly recurring themes, and more-all of them new and different. After all, there will be even more to do and see in WooSox ’23.
Worcester will head to Buffalo, NY for their first road trip of the year when they battle the Buffalo Bisons (AAA-Toronto) for 6 games from April 4-9. Buffalo weather could be a stark contrast from Jacksonville, FL where the WooSox opened the 2022 season last April 5! Worcester will return to Jacksonville in 2023 but not until just after the All-Star break for a 3-game series vs. the Jumbo Shrimp from July 14-16.
The WooSox will play two other home series in April. From April 11-16 they will host the Columbus Clippers (AAA-Cleveland) of the International League West division for the first time ever at Polar Park and they will conclude the month of April with a 6-game series against their IL East rival the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA-New York Yankees) from April 25-30. That series will actually be the front half of a 12-game homestand that will continue on May 2 when the Buffalo Bisons visit for 6 games through May 7.
Worcester will have one other 12-game homestand during the year featuring 6-game sets against both Buffalo and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre from August 8-20. The WooSox will have one 12-game road trip from May 23 – June 4 that includes 6 games at both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Louisville – marking the first time the Sox will have ever faced the Louisville Bats (AAA-Cincinnati). Worcester will also have a 9-game road trip just after the All-Star break when they play 3 games at Jacksonville and then 6 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre from July 14-23.
All other homestands and road trips throughout the season will be 6 games. The 2023 International League schedule again features predominately 6-game series that almost always start on Tuesdays and end on Sundays. The only exceptions are the 3-game Opening Weekend series vs. Syracuse at Polar Park beginning Friday, March 31; the 3-game series just after the All-Star break in Jacksonville beginning on Friday, July 14; and a 6-game set that runs from Wednesday, June 28 through Monday, July 3 in Buffalo (thus enabling half the teams in the league to play at home on July 3rd and the other half – including the WooSox – to play at home on July 4th). The Monday, July 3 game in Buffalo is the only Monday game the WooSox will play all season as the other 24 Mondays during the season are all scheduled offdays.
Worcester will meet their closest International League East division rivals quite regularly as they play Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees), Buffalo (Blue Jays), Lehigh Valley (Phillies), and Rochester (Nationals) a total of 24 times each (12 at home & 12 away) as well as Syracuse (Mets) a total of 21 times (15 at home & 6 away). The WooSox will also face Norfolk (Orioles) of the IL East for 12 games (6 home & 6 away) and go to Jacksonville (Marlins) of the IL East for 3 games. In addition, Worcester will play outside their division when they host Columbus (Guardians) of the IL West for 6 games at home and travel to IL West foes Louisville (Reds) and Gwinnett (Braves) for the first time ever for 6 games apiece.
The WooSox will end their home schedule on Sunday, September 17 vs. Syracuse at 1:05 p.m. at Polar Park. The third season of the Worcester Red Sox will conclude on Sunday, September 24 at Lehigh Valley.
The 150 scheduled games in 2023 would represent the most games Worcester/Pawtucket have ever played in a season. Last year the WooSox had two games cancelled due to rain and thus played a total of 148 games (finishing with a 75-73 record). The International League did have a 154-game schedule in 1964, but Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in 1964 was the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.
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