MLB teams play 162 games in the regular season, about 81 at home and 81 on the road, from late March to late September. A team that makes the playoffs can add up to 22 more games. Minor league seasons run from 150 games in Triple A down to about 60 in the rookie leagues, while college teams play up to 56 and high school teams usually play 20 to 35. The chart below compares season length at every level.
How Many Postseason Games in MLB
| Round | Format | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Series | Best of 3 | Up to 3 |
| Division Series | Best of 5 | Up to 5 |
| League Championship Series | Best of 7 | Up to 7 |
| World Series | Best of 7 | Up to 7 |
| Total for a Wild Card team | Up to 22 | |
| Total for a top two seed (bye) | Up to 19 |
Why MLB Plays 162 Games
MLB played 154 game seasons for decades before moving to 162 when the leagues expanded, starting with the American League in 1961 and the National League in 1962. The longer schedule kept the balance of games between teams as more clubs joined. Baseball can play far more games than football or basketball because the sport is less physically punishing day to day, and teams use five man rotations so starting pitchers rest between outings.
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Schedules for every team are posted at MLB.com, and NCAA.com covers college baseball.