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Major League Baseball

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(Photo by Cooper Neill/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB LogoMajor League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league operating within the United States and Canada. It is the most prestigious baseball competition in the world.

The MLB regular season is one of the longest in professional sports, with each team playing 162 games. It is only just shy of being twice as long as the 82-game NBA and NHL regular seasons.

To carry out the mammoth regular season, the competition is divided into two 15-team leagues, the American League and National League. These leagues are further divided into three five-team divisions of East, Central and West for both.

The National League was established in 1876, while the American League was established in 1901. The champions of each league have competed in the World Series since 1903 and, while they operated as separate entities for a long time, the two leagues officially merged into one organisation in 2000.

The baseball regular season typically begins in late March and finishes in late September. Five teams from each league qualify for the postseason, which lasts for roughly one month and culminates in the best-of-seven World Series in October.

In 2021, the Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros 4-2 in the World Series to claim their fourth title and first since 1995.

Major League Baseball teams

American League

Team Location World Series titles (last title)
East Division
Baltimore Orioles Baltimore, Maryland 3 (1983)
Boston Red Sox Boston, Massachusetts 9 (2018)
New York Yankees New York (The Bronx), New York 27 (2009)
Tampa Bay Rays St Petersburg, Florida 0
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, Ontario (Canada) 2 (1993)
Central Division
Chicago White Sox Chicago (South), Illinois 3 (2005)
Cleveland Indians Cleveland, Ohio 2 (1948)
Detroit Tigers Detroit, Michigan 4 (1984)
Kansas City Royals Kansas City, Missouri 2 (2015)
Minnesota Twins Minneapolis, Minnesota 3 (1991)
West Division
Houston Astros Houston, Texas 1 (2017)
Los Angeles Angels Anaheim, California 1 (2002)
Oakland Athletics Oakland, California 9 (1989)
Seattle Mariners Seattle, Washington 0
Texas Rangers Dallas, Texas 0

National League

Team Location World Series titles (last title)
East Division
Atlanta Braves Atlanta, Georgia 4 (2021)
Miami Marlins Miami, Florida 2 (2003)
New York Mets New York (Queens), New York 2 (1986)
Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2 (2008)
Washington Nationals Washington, D.C. 1 (2019)
Central Division
Chicago Cubs Chicago (North), Illinois 3 (2016)
Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati, Ohio 5 (1990)
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee, Wisconsin 0
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 5 (1979)
St Louis Cardinals St Louis, Missouri 11 (2011)
West Division
Arizona Diamondbacks Phoenix, Arizona 1 (2001)
Colorado Rockies Denver, Colorado 0
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, California 7 (2020)
San Diego Padres San Diego, California 0
San Francisco Giants San Francisco, California 8 (2014)
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To date the New York Yankees have won the most championships with 27, playing out of the famous Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.

The St Louis Cardinals have the next most titles, with 11.

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