What is MLB? Major League Baseball Explained

The world has plenty of popular sports that are very closely followed by millions of fans. Consider the English Premier League, which is watched by soccer fans worldwide who support their favorites by placing a bet or two on websites like codigodeapuesta.com.mx

For basketball, everybody turns to the NBA, and for good reason, all the great players end up there, no matter where they are from. 

It is no surprise that a sport like baseball will also have a great, major league which is considered to be at the top of the food chain. That would be Major League Baseball and for those of you who are not acquainted with it, it will be explained in detail in the following paragraphs.

What is MLB? When Was it Created?

The MLB is known as Major League Baseball and it is the organization which governs baseball in the United States. It is also the top-tier league in the United States. It was formed in 1903. However, MLB was not always what it is today.

Prior to its creation and even long after, two leagues were butting heads. The National League, formed in 1876 and the American League, formed in the 1880s but officially in 1901, were at each other’s throats for the better part of the 20th century. They did cooperate from time to time, particularly in the late 20th century. In the year 2000, the two leagues merged to form what is now known as MLB. They are led by a person known as the Commissioner of Baseball.

How Does the Season Look Like?

Every season starts with Spring Practice where teams hold camps in Arizona or Texas, with the idea of using the states’ heat to practice in the colder months of the year, not worrying about the snow or hold. Exhibition matches are held to warm up the audience, as well as the players and teams.

The season officially starts in the first week of April. Teams are separated into three groups of five, times 2, per two leagues. Every team plays a match against each of the teams from their own group 19 times, leading to a total of 76 matches in their own division. Then, they also have another 66 matches in their own league, but interdivision matches, the divisions being East, Central and West. After that, there are another 20 interleague matches, between AL and NL. 

The Postseason

The postseason has four rounds.

The first round sees wildcard teams compete. The second round sees the American League and National League Division Series to determine the champion of each of the divisions. Then, each of the leagues has their own Championship Series, which is a best-of-seven format (the prior being best-of-five), to determine the overall champion of each of the leagues.

The fourth and final round is the World Series, where the best AL and NL teams play for the trophy, the Commissioner’s Trophy.

MLB is an organization overseeing baseball in the US, and also the top-tier baseball league in the US and the world.