How Many Divisions Are In Baseball?

A deep dive into the history of baseball divisions and how they’ve changed over the years.

Introduction

Since baseball expanded from 8 to 10 teams in 1961, there have been four different arrangements of how the sport has been divided into divisions. From 1969-1993, both the American League (AL) and National League (NL) were split into two divisions each, East and West. In 1994, baseball underwent one of the biggest changes in its history when a third division was added to each league, creating the current six-division format that we have today.

The Three Major Divisions

Baseball is a sport that is split into many divisions. The three major divisions are the American League (AL), the National League (NL), and the Minor Leagues. The American League and the National League are the two largest and most popular divisions in baseball. The Minor Leagues are made up of smaller, less popular divisions.

The American League

The American League (AL) is one of the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1901 as the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, it served as the younger brother to the more established National League until it was able to hold its own financially and compete against its older sibling on an even playing field. It is sometimes referred to as the Junior Circuit because, historically, it has consisted of smaller markets than the National League.

The American League currently consists of 14 teams: The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers.

The National League

The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, commonly referred to as the National League (NL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It originally consisted of ten teams from the Northeastern United States. From 1876 to 1900, the National League’s competitor was the American Association (AA), referred to as the “Senior Circuit”, which declared itself a major league in 1901. After the two concurrent major leagues began operating in 1902, they were known as theNational League and American League, respectively.

The National League has 16 teams in two divisions: the East Division and the West Division.

The Minor Leagues

The minor leagues are professional baseball’s proving ground, where players hone their skills in hopes of being called up to “The Show.” The minor leagues are also where you’ll find some of the most eccentric team names and ballpark experiences in baseball.

There are three major divisions in minor league baseball: Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A. The divisions are further split into leagues, with each league made up of several teams.

Conclusion

As of the 2019 Major League Baseball season, there are 30 teams divided into six divisions: the American League East, American League Central, American League West, National League East, National League Central, and National League West.

The AL and NL were established in 1901 and 1903, respectively. The current divisional alignment began in 1969 when MLB increased from 24 to 26 teams with the addition of the San Diego Padres and Montreal Expos. In 1994, with the addition of the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins, MLB realigned itself into three divisions in each league.

The most recent realignment occurred prior to the 2012 season when MLB added two expansion teams, the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals. As a result of this expansion, MLB shifted the Astros from the NL Central to the AL West and moved the Milwaukee Brewers from the AL Central to the NL Central.