The Brewers will open 2024 season against Mets at Citi Field on March 28 and then host Twins for home opener April 2

A third straight road opener, a home opener against a border rival and, in a big break, no 10-game trips are the high points of the Milwaukee Brewers' 2024 schedule, which was released by Major League Baseball on Thursday.

The announcement came more than a month earlier than it did in 2022, when MLB instituted its new balanced-schedule format for the first time.

Here are some of the highlights.

Brewers opening on the road is becoming a habit

The Brewers' first series will be against the New York Mets at Citi Field, beginning March 28. There is an off-day on the 29th with the final two games on the 30th and 31st.

It will be the first time the Brewers open a season with the Mets but the third consecutive season they will open on the road, their longest such streak since a 10-year run from 1996-2005.

There could be a very interesting storyline connected to the New York trip, with the continued rumors that the Mets are interested in hiring David Stearns to run their baseball operations.

Stearns stepped back from his role running the Brewers' baseball operations after last season and has been serving as a consultant this year. It's believed his contract will expire at the end of this season.

Then in an odd twist, the Brewers and Mets won't face each other again until the final series of the season.

Milwaukee opens at home against border rival

No, it won't be against the Chicago Cubs.

Instead the home opener at American Family Field will come against the Minnesota Twins on April 2, with the brief two-game set concluding the following day. Then the Seattle Mariners arrive for a three-game weekend set that will feature that team's first appearance in Milwaukee since 2019.

The Brewers and Twins conclude their four-game series set at Target Field on July 20 and 21.

The Brewers avoided the brutal trips they had this season

Every team has a few long, tough road trips.

But this season's slate was especially daunting for the Brewers, who had a pair of 10-gamers in the first half – at Arizona, San Diego and Seattle in April, and at Cleveland, the Mets and Pittsburgh a few weeks ago.

To Milwaukee's credit, the team went 7-3 on both trips.

Next season the Brewers have just one nine-game trip, to Houston, Miami and Boston from May 17-28.

Also working in the Brewers' favor will be the fact they play 10 of their final 13 games at home.

Milwaukee's schedule is heavy on West Coast travel in the second half, however, with games at Colorado, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland A's, San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks from July through September.

The lone West Coast stop in the first half is three games from June 17-23 at the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres.

The visits to Houston, the Angels and Oakland will be the Brewers' first since 2019.

Some visitors will be returning to Milwaukee for the first time in a while

The Brewers host the Cleveland Guardians from Aug. 16-18, their first visit to American Family Field since 2018.

The Texas Rangers will play in Milwaukee from June 24-26 for their first trip here since 2019.

Also in a fortuitous turn of events, the Brewers will have a 10-game homestand from Aug. 9-18. It opens with three games against the Cincinnati Reds, continues with four against the Dodgers and concludes against the Guardians.

Oh yeah, the Cubs

The Brewers play the National League Central Division border rival Chicago Cubs for the first time May 3-5 at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs make their first trek to Milwaukee from May 28-30 and return June 28-30.

The Brewers are back at Wrigley Field for their second and final visit July 22-24.

Only three of Milwaukee's final 22 games will be against a Central Division opponent -- the Pittsburgh Pirates from Sept. 24-26.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here are the highlights of the Milwaukee Brewers' 2024 schedule