MLB announced its official schedule for the 2014 season late Thursday afternoon, which begins with the American League Wild Card game on Sept. 30. The World Series is slated to begin on Tuesday Oct. 21. A potential Game Seven would take place on Oct. 29. The big news here, as Sports Business Journal‘s Eric Fisher notes is that the Fall Classic avoids a potential head-to-head conflict with Monday Night Football, as well as Thursday Night Football which airs on network over-the-air CBS this year as opposed to NFL Network, previously.

Ratings for the World Series were up in 2013 from an all-time low in 2012. Game 4 of the 2013 Series between the Red Sox and Cardinals attracted nearly 16 million viewers, pushing it very close to the same number of eyeballs as the Packers/Bears Sunday Night Football game on the same night and the most since 2011.

The new postseason schedule, avoiding multiple nights of NFL Football, could work both ways for baseball. For one, Games 3 and 4 will take place on Friday and Saturday — traditionally the lowest rated television nights of the week. Friday it faces limited competition, whereas Saturday night it will be up against college football, including Ohio State/Penn State. Last year’s World Series began on a Wednesday and went head-to-head with Thursday, Sunday and Monday NFL games.

The other thought here, assuming you use Nielsen ratings as a be-all, end-all to judge a sport, is baseball won’t be able to spin football as a built-in excuse if the rating are low this October. At the same time, without the competition of NFL football, there’s a chance more sports fans might tune in to FOX to watch games without a gridiron option. The Monday Night game during the Series in 2014, as Fischer noted on Twitter is Washington/Dallas, usually a huge TV draw. The 2014 World Series game 5 (if necessary) will clash with Packers at Saints on NBC, as baseball cannot avoid the NFL entirely.

If you judge baseball’s health by ratings, 2014 will be interesting with it unlikely to include either the Yankees or defending champion Red Sox — traditional powers in large cities. If the Dodgers, who haven’t played in a World Series since 1988 make a deep run, it could positively impact the ratings. The Angels in the Series could have a similar impact, too, but on a slightly smaller scale. (Fans of whichever two teams make the Fall Classic aren’t going to care about stuff like ratings.)

Here’s the full schedule, which includes ESPN’s first postseason game since 2006.

Wild Card

Tues., Sept. 30: AL Wild Card Game, TBS

Wed., Oct. 1: NL Wild Card Game, ESPN

Division Series

Thurs., Oct. 2: ALDS A, Game 1, TBS

Thurs., Oct. 2: ALDS B, Game 1, TBS

Fri., Oct. 3: ALDS A, Game 2, TBS

Fri., Oct. 3: ALDS B, Game 2, TBS

Fri., Oct. 3: NLDS A, Game 1, FS1

Fri., Oct. 3: NLDS B, Game 1, FS1

Sat., Oct. 4: NLDS A, Game 2, FS1 or MLBN

Sat., Oct. 4: NLDS B, Game 2, FS1 or MLBN

Sun., Oct. 5: ALDS A, Game 3, TBS

Sun., Oct. 5: ALDS B, Game 3, TBS

Mon., Oct. 6: ALDS A, Game 4, TBS

Mon., Oct. 6: ALDS B, Game 4, TBS

Mon., Oct. 6: NLDS A, Game 3, FS1 or MLBN

Mon., Oct. 6: NLDS B, Game 3, FS1 or MLBN

Tues., Oct. 7: NLDS A, Game 4, FS1

Tues., Oct. 7: NLDS B, Game 4, FS1

Wed., Oct. 8: ALDS A, Game 5, TBS

Wed., Oct. 8: ALDS B, Game 5, TBS

Thurs. Oct. 9: NLDS A, Game 5, FS1

Thurs. Oct. 9: NLDS B, Game 5 FS1

Championship Series

Fri., Oct. 10: ALCS Game 1, TBS

Sat., Oct. 11: ALCS Game 2, TBS

Sat., Oct. 11: NLCS Game 1, FOX

Sun., Oct. 12: NLCS Game 2, FS1

Mon., Oct. 13: ALCS Game 3, TBS

Tues. Oct. 14: NLCS Game 3, FS1

Tues. Oct. 14: ALCS Game 4, TBS

Wed., Oct. 15: ALCS Game 5, TBS

Wed., Oct. 15: NLCS Game 4, FS1

Thurs., Oct. 16: NLCS Game 5, FS1

Fri., Oct. 17: ALCS Game 6, TBS

Sat. Oct. 18: NLCS Game 6, FOX

Sat. Oct. 18: ALCS Game 7, TBS

Sun. Oct. 19: NLCS Game 7, FS1

World Series

Tues., Oct. 21: Game 1, AL city, FOX

Wed. Oct. 22: Game 2, AL city, FOX

Thurs. Oct. 23: Travel day

Fri., Oct. 24: Game 3, NL city, FOX

Sat., Oct. 25: Game 4, NL city, FOX

Sun,, Oct. 26: Game 5, NL city, FOX

Mon., Oct. 27: Travel day

Tues., Oct. 28: Game 6, AL city, FOX

Wed., Oct. 29: Game 7, AL city, FOX