The shape of a season
Major League Baseball's 30 teams split into the American League and National League, three divisions of five (East, Central, West) in each. The season is sport's great marathon: 162 games from late March to late September — nearly every day for six months — which is why baseball statistics carry such weight: over 162 games, luck washes out. Since 2022 both leagues use the designated hitter, ending the sport's longest-running argument.
How the playoffs work
Twelve teams qualify — six per league: the three division winners plus three wild cards. The top two division winners in each league rest through the Wild Card Series (best-of-three, all at the higher seed's park) while the other four teams fight through it. Then the Division Series (best-of-five), the League Championship Series (best-of-seven), and the World Series (best-of-seven) between the AL and NL champions in late October — home-field to the team with the better record. October baseball is a different sport from July baseball: pitching staffs shrink, every at-bat tightens, and a wild-card team on a hot streak can and does win everything.
Terms a new fan needs
ERA — earned run average, a pitcher's runs allowed per nine innings; under 3.00 is elite. OPS — on-base plus slugging, the one-number summary of a hitter. Bullpen — the relief pitchers (and where they warm up). Magic number — the combination of wins and rival losses needed to clinch. Arbitration — the salary process for mid-career players, baseball's unique labor quirk.
The divisions
| Division | Teams |
|---|---|
| AL East | Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays |
| AL Central | Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins |
| AL West | Astros (Houston), Athletics, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers |
| NL East | Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals |
| NL Central | Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL West | Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants |