When Is Baseball Season Over?
The baseball season is a long one, but eventually it comes to an end. Here are the key dates to keep in mind for the end of the season.
Introduction
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. A total of 30 teams play in the National League (NL) and American League (AL), with 15 teams in each league. The NL and AL were formed as separate legal entities in 1876 and 1901, respectively. After cooperating but remaining legally separate entities beginning in 1903, the leagues merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball in 2000. MLB separates its labor relations into two entities: the Major League Baseball Constitution regulates relationships between MLB and its 30 teams; while MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) manages relationships between MLB, postseason broadcast partners like Turner Broadcasting System (which airs all postseason games except for those on Fox, which airs the World Series), ESPN Radio (which broadcasts regular-season games), as well as licenses digital rights to companies like Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.
The regular season is from late March/early April to late September/early October, followed by a postseason that can run from October to early November. Most divisions play 162 games within their respective seasons; however, games missed due to weather conditions or other reasons are not made up, resulting in some teams playing more than 162 games and others playing fewer than 162 games.
The Length of the Season
The length of the Major League Baseball season has varied throughout its history. The earliest seasons began in late April and ended in early October, while more recent seasons have begun in late March and ended in early November. The regular season typically consists of 162 games, but has been as short as 140 games and as long as 186 games.
The End of the Season
Baseball season typically runs from April through September, with a short break in August. The playoffs begin in October and the World Series is played in November.
The regular season is 162 games long, and each team plays divisional opponents 18 to 20 times. These games are spread out evenly over the course of the season so that every team has a chance to play every other team regularly.
The playoffs generally follow a 2-3-2 format, whereby the divisional champions with the better record host Games 1, 2, 6 and 7, while their opponents host Games 3, 4 and 5. However, due to scheduling conflicts with Minor League Baseball playoff games, this format may be altered slightly in some years.
The World Series is a best-of-seven series between the champions of the American League and National League. It is typically played in October, although it may extend into November if necessary.
Post-Season
The Major League Baseball (MLB) post-season begins in early October with the National League (NL) and American League (AL) Division Series—best-of-five playoff matchups between the division winners and wild card teams. The winners of each Division Series advance to their respective best-of-seven League Championship Series. The American League Champion then advances to play the National League Champion in the best-of-seven World Series, which typically wraps up in early November.
Conclusion
The baseball season typically starts in late March/early April and ends in late September/early October. The playoffs and World Series can extend into November.
