Key dates on the schedule Sunday, April 3

New York Mets at Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer and company celebrate the Royals' 2015 championship one more time before kicking off their title defense against the team they defeated in the World Series last year. The Mets re-signed slugger Yoenis Cespedes after a few anxious moments over the winter, and Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom lead one of baseball's best rotations. The Royals return mostly intact, with All-Star left fielder Alex Gordon opting to remain in Kansas City on a four-year deal worth $72 million and Ian Kennedy replacing Johnny Cueto in the rotation.

Monday, April 18

Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals: Outfielder Jason Heyward and right-hander John Lackey return to St. Louis for the first time since signing with Chicago in the offseason, adding another layer of intrigue to one of baseball's best rivalries. St. Louis is coming off its third straight NL Central title, but Chicago also made the postseason last year and eliminated the Cards in the division series. This is the first of 19 scheduled games between them in 2016, including six in September that could help determine the division title.