How many baseball games are in a season? Breakdown of each level!

From the MLB down to little league baseball, it can be difficult to remember how many baseball games are in a typical season.

Baseball seasons are longer than other sports and it may seem like teams are playing every day of the year.

So, how many baseball games are in a season?

At the major league level, there are 162 games per year. Major league baseball expanded their number of games to 162 in 1962 and have stuck with that number of games since then. (except for the 2020 covid season, which was shortened to 60 games).

Here is a breakdown of how many baseball games are in a season across other leagues:

Triple-A baseball: 150 Games
Double-A baseball: 138 Games
Single-A baseball: 132 Games
Short Season A Ball: 76-80 games
Rookie Ball: 60 Games
College: 40-56 Games
High School Baseball: 25-40 Games
Little League Baseball: 12-20 games

As you can see, the amount of games you play goes up the higher you play.

Playing 162 games takes a significant amount of roster depth and skill and which is why the major league baseball level has the most amount of games in their baseball season.

Contents

How many major league baseball games have been played each season?
Summary

How many major league baseball games have been played each season?

The number of baseball games over time has changed significantly as the years have passed.

There were many changes to the baseball schedule in the late 1800s until 1962 when the current 162-game schedule became standard.

If this happens in a crucial moment this season baseball fans will lose their minds!

Imagine this happens in a Game 163, postseason game, World Series Game 7?!? This new “clock rule” will only hurt the game.

I can promise you that!pic.twitter.com/GAtZ0g7TqX

— Taylor Ringold (@TaylorRingold) February 26, 2023

In the first year of the National League, there were 70 games, with each team playing their opponent 10 times.

The American League started in 1901 with 140 games as the 7 teams played their opponents 20 times each.

The NL and AL formed an agreement in 1903 when there was a merger that made them one entity that is led by the major league baseball commissioner.

Here is a breakdown of the number of games played in MLB over time:

Year	League	Games Per Team
1876	NL	70
1877-78	NL	60
1879-82	NL	84
1883	NL	98
1884-1885	NL	112
1886-1887	NL	126
1888-1891	NL	140
1892	NL	154
1893-1897	NL	132
1898-1899	NL	154
1900	NL	140
1901-1903	AL and NL	140
1904-1917	AL and NL	154
1918	AL and NL	154
1919	AL and NL	140
1920-60	AL and NL	154
1961	NL	154
1961	AL	162
1962-2019	AL and NL	162
2020	AL and NL	60
2021-Current	AL and NL	162

How many baseball games were played in 2020?

There were only 60 MLB games played during the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The season started almost 4 months later than normal on July 23 and ended on October 28.

The Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series at Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

How many baseball games were played in a season in 1961?

The National League played 154 games in 1961 and the American League played 162 games in a season.

Can a team play more than 162 games in a baseball season?

Yes, if there is a tiebreaker in a particular division there could be an extra 1 game playoff to determine the division winner.

In these situations teams would finish with 163 games played in their regular season.

Here is a list of AL one-game playoffs:

Year	Teams
1948	Indians vs. Red Sox
1978	Yankees vs. Red Sox
1995	Angels vs. Mariners
2008	Twins vs. White Sox
2009	Twins vs. Tigers
2013	Rays vs. Rangers

Here is a list of the one-game playoffs in NL History:

1980	Astros vs. Dodgers
1998	Giants vs. Cubs
1999	Reds vs. Mets
2007	Padres vs. Rockies
2018	Brewers vs. Cubs
2018	Rockies vs. Dodgers

Can a team play fewer than 162 games in a baseball season?

Yes, teams can play less than 162 games in a season if games get canceled due to weather or other circumstances that prevent the games from being played.

Typically these games are rescheduled for the end of the year or during other times throughout the season, but in some situations, if the games will not impact the standings they can be canceled outright.

How many games are in a college baseball season?

The amount of games in a college baseball season depends on which division the college plays in.

Most division 1 baseball programs play 56 games in a regular season.

Some schools that play in colder weather climates may play a slightly shorter schedule ranging from 50-55 games in their regular season.

Division 2 baseball teams play a slightly smaller schedule due to smaller travel budgets.

Typically schedules at this level range between 40-50 games per season.

Division 3 schedules vary throughout different parts of the country with the full games scheduled being around 40 games.

Division 3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships making their athletic budgets significantly smaller than division 1 or 2 schools.

NAIA schools have a wide variety of games they play per season, and there typically is more freedom than the NCAA levels with scheduling.

How many high school baseball games in a season?

There are typically around 25-40 baseball games in a season depending on what states the team plays in. In cold weather states, high school seasons start later in the year and sometimes run into the summer.

In warmer states, baseball seasons can start as early as February and wrap up toward the end of April.

When does baseball season start and end?

Major League Baseball season typically starts on April 1st and ends around October 1st. In 2022 the regular season starts on March 31st and ends on October 2nd.

How many games in a little league season?

The amount of games in a little league season varies depending on which part of the country the little league plays in. Official little league rules require teams to play at least 12 games per year. Most little leagues have around 16-20 regular seasons per year.

When did Major League Baseball expand?

Major League baseball had a 16 team structure from 1903-to 1952 and several big cities like New York, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago all had two baseball teams.

The Boston Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore, and the Philadelphia Athletics went to Kansas City in 1955.

Then two New York teams moved to California when the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and the Giants moved to San Francisco prior to the 1968 season.

1961 brought about the most significant changes to major league baseball expansion as the American League expanded to ten teams as the LA Angels were added, Twins were awarded to Minneapolis, and the Washington Senators were awarded an expansion team.

Here is a breakdown of the number of teams and their inaugural seasons:

Arizona Diamondbacks, 1998
Atlanta Braves, 1876
Baltimore Orioles, 1901
Boston Red Sox, 1901
Chicago Cubs, 1876
Chicago White Sox, 1901
Cincinatti Reds, 1882
Cleveland Guardians, 1901
Colorado Rockies, 1993
Detroit Tigers, 1901
Houston Astros, 1962
Kansas City Royals, 1969
Los Angeles Angels, 1961
Los Angeles Dodgers, 1884
Miami Marlins, 1993
Milwaukee Brewers, 1969
Minnesota Twins, 1901
New York Mets, 1962
New York Yankees, 1903
Oakland Athletics, 1901
Philadelphia Phillies, 1883
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1882
San Diego Padres, 1969
San Francisco Giants, 1883
Seattle Mariners, 1977
St. Louis Cardinals, 1882
Tampa Bay Rays, 1998
Texas Rangers, 1961
Toronto Blue Jays, 1977
Washington Nationals, 1969

Summary

The amount of baseball games in a season at the major league level has been pretty consistent throughout the early 1960s and looks like it will stay the same for the foreseeable future.

College, high school, and little league baseball seasons can change from year to year depending on weather or other issues like budget constraints.

As you can see, baseball is more of a marathon than a sprint!