Baseball, America’s pastime, boasts a rich and evolving history, and one aspect that has seen significant changes over the years is the length of the regular season. If you’re asking “how many games in an MLB season?”, the answer isn’t as simple as it might seem. Today, we’re accustomed to a 162-game marathon, but this wasn’t always the case. Let’s delve into the fascinating history of the MLB schedule and explore how it reached its current form.
In the nascent days of professional baseball, the number of games played was considerably less than what fans enjoy today. Back when the National League (NL) first swung into action in 1876, the season was a mere 70 games. Imagine a season ending before the summer was even over! With just eight teams in the league, each team faced its rivals ten times.
Alt text: A vintage photograph of the 1887 Detroit Wolverines baseball team, illustrating early era of MLB.
This brevity was even more pronounced in the following two years, 1877 and 1878, when the NL contracted to just six teams. Each team then played each opponent a dozen times, resulting in the shortest MLB season ever at just 60 games. This historical anomaly serves as a stark contrast to the long seasons we know now.
However, the trend was towards expansion, both in the number of teams and the games played. Starting in 1879, as the National League returned to eight teams, the schedule gradually expanded. Initially, it increased to 84 games, and by 1891, it had nearly doubled to 140 games. This incremental growth saw approximately 14 games added every few years, with teams playing each other two more times in each adjustment. It’s worth noting that games in this era often began in the late afternoon, and were frequently susceptible to cancellations due to rain or encroaching darkness, factors less impactful in modern, floodlit stadiums.
During the period from 1882 to 1891, a rival major league emerged: the American Association (AA). Initially featuring six teams in 1882, the AA scheduled 80 games. As it grew to eight teams the following year, the schedule lengthened to 98 games. By 1885, the AA season reached 112 games, and from 1886 until its dissolution in 1891, it mirrored the NL’s length with a 140-game season. Interestingly, the short-lived Players League, another 8-team major league in 1890, also adopted a 140-game schedule, suggesting a growing consensus on a longer season format.
Alt text: An artist’s rendering of a 19th-century baseball game, highlighting the early period of professional baseball and its evolving schedule.
The landscape of baseball leagues shifted significantly after the American Association folded. In 1892, the National League expanded to 12 teams, and with this expansion came the debut of a 154-game schedule. This new format involved each team playing every other team 14 times. However, this length proved somewhat unwieldy, and for the subsequent five years (1893-1897), the schedule was reduced to 132 games. Yet, the allure of more baseball prevailed, and the 154-game season returned in 1898 and 1899.
By 1900, the National League streamlined back to eight teams and adopted a 140-game schedule. The American League, previously a minor circuit known as the Western League, ascended to major league status in 1901. For the years 1901-1903, both the National and American Leagues operated with 140-game schedules.
The year 1904 marked a pivotal moment as both leagues inaugurated the 8-team, 154-game schedule. In this format, each team played every other team 22 times. This structure became deeply entrenched in baseball tradition, even adopted by the Federal League during its brief major league existence in 1914-1915. The 154-game schedule reigned supreme from 1904 to 1960, with only minor interruptions.
One such interruption occurred during World War I. In 1918, under orders from the War Department, the season was cut short on September 2nd, resulting in teams playing approximately 125 games each. Although the war concluded in November 1918, the following 1919 season saw a slightly reduced 140-game schedule as teams worked to reintegrate players returning from military service. The 1919 season, however, proved successful, fueled by Babe Ruth’s record-breaking home run hitting, paving the way for a return to the 154-game schedule in 1920. This 154-game format then endured without change through World War II and beyond.
Alt text: Babe Ruth in the 1920s, whose home run records helped popularize baseball and maintain interest in the 154-game season.
A significant shift came in 1953 when the Boston National League team relocated to Milwaukee, marking the first franchise shift in half a century. This move heralded further relocations and the need for major team realignment. Expansion ultimately led to the adoption of the 10-team, 162-game schedule. The American League expanded to ten teams and implemented the 162-game schedule in 1961, with the National League following suit in 1962. Interestingly, 1961 stands out as the only year where the two major leagues operated with schedules of different lengths and team counts.
The current divisional setup in MLB was established in 1969. Both leagues restructured to 12 teams each, divided into two divisions. Under this arrangement, each team plays 18 games against five divisional opponents and 12 games against the six teams in the other division within their league. Despite the divisional play and expanded playoffs, the total number of regular-season games remains at 162. The divisional champions from each league then compete in a best-of-five League Championship Series to determine who advances to the World Series, but these playoff games do not count towards regular-season statistics.
Over the years, various alternative schedules have been proposed. Notably, in 1946, a 168-game schedule was tentatively agreed upon to capitalize on baseball’s post-war popularity and to offset increased player pension costs. This ambitious plan, championed by Yankees President Larry MacPhail, would have seen each of the eight teams playing 24 games against every opponent. However, public and player opposition led to its rejection, and the leagues opted to maintain the 154-game schedule.
In 1968, the National League briefly considered a 165-game schedule for its first 12-team season in 1969. This proposal involved playing 15 games against each opponent, accepting an uneven home-road game distribution in favor of a longer season than the 154-game alternative. Ultimately, the NL aligned with the American League’s divisional play plan, keeping the game count at 162.
The most recent alteration to the schedule length occurred in 1972. A player strike early in the season resulted in the cancellation of the first ten days of play. Disagreements over compensation for the canceled games led to a compromise where the 86 games missed during the strike were simply canceled, leading to uneven schedules ranging from 153 to 156 games in the National League and 154 to 156 games in the American League. In a quirky outcome of this shortened season, the Detroit Tigers won the AL East title by just half a game over the Boston Red Sox due to the uneven number of games played.
The following table summarizes the evolution of National and American League schedule lengths throughout history:
NATIONAL AND AMERICAN LEAGUE SCHEDULE LENGTHS
| Years | Leagues | Teams | Series | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | NL | 8 | 7×10 | 70 |
| 1877-78 | NL | 6 | 5×12 | 60 |
| 1879-82 | NL | 8 | 7×12 | 84 |
| 1883 | NL | 8 | 7×14 | 98 |
| 1884- 85 | NL | 8 | 7×16 | 112 |
| 1886-87 | NL | 8 | 7×18 | 126 |
| 1888-91 | NL | 8 | 7×20 | 140 |
| 1892 | NL | 12 | 11×14 | 154 |
| 1893-97 | NL | 12 | 11×12 | 132 |
| 1898-99 | NL | 12 | 11×14 | 154 |
| 1900 | NL | 8 | 7×20 | 140 |
| 1901-03 | NL-AL | 8 | 7×20 | 140 |
| 1904-17 | NL-AL | 8 | 7×22 | 154 |
| 1918 | NL-AL | 8 | 7×22 | 154* |
| 1919 | NL-AL | 8 | 7×20 | 140 |
| 1920-60 | NL-AL | 8 | 7×22 | 154 |
| 1961 | NL | 8 | 7×22 | 154** |
| 1961 | AL | 10 | 9×18 | 162** |
| 1962-6 8 | NL-AL | 10 | 9×18 | 162 |
| 1969-71 | NL-AL | 12 | 5×18 | 162*** |
| 6×12 | ||||
| 1972 | NL-AL | 12 | 5×18 | 162**** |
| 6×12 |
*Season ended on September 2 instead of September 29 by decree of U.S. Secretary of War Newton D. Baker. Teams played 123-129 decisions that year (1918).
**National League expanded to 10 teams one year later than the American League. Leagues played uneven schedules in 1961.
***Schedules beginning in 1969 called for 12 teams in each league, with a split into two divisions. Each team played teams in its own division 18 times and teams in the other division 12 times. The two divisional champs then were to meet in a 3-of-5 playoff series (games not counted in regular standings) to determine the League pennant winner.
****The games scheduled on the first 10 days of the 1972 season were cancelled as a result of a player strike.
Teams played 153-156 decisions in NL and 154-156 decisions in AL. Season opened April 15 instead of April 5-6.
In conclusion, while the answer to “how many games in an MLB season?” is currently 162, the journey to this number has been a long and winding one. From the short seasons of the 19th century to the expanded schedules of today, the length of the MLB season has been shaped by factors ranging from league expansions and rivalries to world wars and labor disputes. This historical perspective adds depth to our appreciation of the modern game and the enduring question of how many games truly make a season.
