Troy Tulowitzki and the Blue Jays will play at Coors Field from June 27 to June 29 next season

The Rockies' 2016 schedule has been released. Before yakking about openers and point out the approximately 97 times the will play the Diamondbacks, let's address what's most intriguing. From June 27-June 29, the Rockies will play host to the Toronto Blue Jays. It will be Troy Tulowitzki's return to Coors Field, it will be super interesting (unless he's injured), and it will be a lot of fun. It's a Monday to Wednesday series that includes two evening starts (6:40 MT) and an afternoon game (1:10 MT). I'm guessing that only two of those games will be broadcast locally in Colorado. I've never seen a former member of the Rockies play for an opposing team at Coors Field and not get a deserved round of applause. I expect it to be different this time; I anticipate the applause to be louder and more sustained.

Aside from the Blue Jays, the Rockies will play the other four American League East teams. The Rockies will face the Yankees (June 14-15), the Rays (July 18-20), and Rangers (August 8-9) at home. The Rockies will travel to Fenway Park to face the Red Sox (May 24-26), to Yankee Stadium to square off against A-Rod and the Yankees (June 21-22), and to Camden Yards for three against the Orioles (July 25-27). The Rockies will also play another home-and-home series against the Rangers (August 8-9 in Denver and August 10-11 in Arlington) because the Rockies and Rangers are, apparently, rivals.

The season begins for the Rockies on Monday, April 4. For the fifth straight season, the Rockies will begin on the road. They'll play three games against the Diamondbacks, the first of which will be an evening game with a 7:40 MT start time. The Diamondbacks have some exciting young pitchers. Here's hoping for a Jon Gray vs. Archie Bradley matchup in Arizona.

The Rockies' home opener will be on Friday April 8 against the Padres. After that, the Giants will come to town. That means the Rockies will begin 2016 with nine consecutive games against the National League West. In all, the Rockies will play each of the other four NL West teams 19 times (like I said, 97 was an approximation). The Rockies will host the Diamondbacks ten times and will play ten games in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Prior to the All-Star break, the Rockies will play 43 home games and 46 road games. After it, they'll play 38 at home and 35 on the road. For the second consecutive season, the Rockies are guaranteed to play October baseball. The Rockies will conclude the regular season on October 2 against the Brewers. It's the Rockies' only September series against a non-NL West team.

There's no word yet regarding when tickets will be available to purchase.

You can find the full schedule here.