"Strength of schedule" usually isn't a baseball concept we spend a lot of time discussing, once you get outside the confines of how easy or difficult your division is.

However, MLB's current unbalanced schedule system means that the Tigers play more games against some teams than against others in the AL East and West...and it could hardly get any worse for the Tigers this year how that's working out.

The Tigers will play 10 games against two AL East and two AL West teams this season, while playing the other non-Central teams six or seven times apiece. If you asked yourself, "Self, which four teams in the AL would I like to have the Tigers play the least this season?", you'd probably end up with the four teams with which the MLB schedule fairy has gifted us -- the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Angels and the Rangers.

Sure, as a fan we want to see games between good teams and we want to go into the playoffs having tested the team against their likely playoff competition, but what's wrong with maybe one extra series against the Orioles or Mariners?

(Note: Credit for the concept behind this post to my friend Chad M., who isn't on BYB.)