How many teams are there in the MLB?
There are 30 active MLB teams in the league right now. The American League used to have eight original members, known as the “Classic Eight”. This exclusive club included – Baltimore Orioles, Boston Americans, Chicago White Stockings, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Athletics and Washington Senators.
It’s a similar story in the National League, too. You’ll find that this league also had eight founding members at the time of its launch in 1876. This list of original MLB teams in the NL included – Athletic Club of Philadelphia, Boston Red Caps, Chicago White Stockings, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Hartford Dark Blues, Louisville Grays, Mutual Club of New York and St. Louis Brown Stockings.
The eagle-eyed users amongst you will spot that these franchise names have evolved over the years. However, there’s no denying that these cities are still iconic names in the world of baseball.
List of MLB teams in alphabetical order
- Arizona Diamondbacks
- Atlanta Braves
- Baltimore Orioles
- Boston Red Sox
- Chicago White Sox
- Chicago Cubs
- Cincinnati Reds
- Cleveland Guardians
- Colorado Rockies
- Detroit Tigers
- Houston Astros
- Kansas City Royals
- Los Angeles Angels
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- Miami Marlins
- Milwaukee Brewers
- Minnesota Twins
- New York Yankees
- New York Mets
- Oakland Athletics
- Philadelphia Phillies
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- San Diego Padres
- San Francisco Giants
- Seattle Mariners
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Tampa Bay Rays
- Texas Rangers
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Washington Nationals
How many MLB divisions are there?
There are six MLB divisions. The MLB is divided into two regional leagues – the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). Within each league, there are three divisions – East, Central and West:
- AL East Division
- AL Central Division
- AL West Division
- NL East Division
- NL Central Division
- NL West Division
Since 2013, each of the MLB divisions has contained five teams. At the end of the 2012 MLB season, the Houston Astros moved to the AL West from the NL Central. In a 162-game season, MLB teams typically play the teams in their own division the most. Games in which AL teams play NL teams are called interleague games. Each team plays 20 interleague games in 2022, and will play up to 46 interleague games in 2023. If you’re wondering how the qualifiers for the playoffs are determined, we’ve got you covered. Ten teams qualify each season. Five MLB teams qualify from each league – the six winners of each MLB division, followed by two wild cards from the AL and NL. If you’re unfamiliar with what a wild card is, it’s a team with the best regular season record without winning its division.
MLB teams in Canada
The Toronto Blue Jays are the only Canadian MLB team.. They’ve been active in the MLB since 1977 and compete in the American League East Division.
The Blue Jays aren’t the first Canadian franchise in MLB history though. The Montreal Expos became the first Canadian MLB franchise when they played in the National League from 1969. However, Montreal is no longer an MLB city. The franchise relocated to Washington D.C., where it still plays today as the Washington Nationals.
Top Canadian MLB players
Many Canadian baseball players have left their mark on the MLB’s record books through the years. Below, we’ve put together some of the most iconic Canadian MLB players to have graced the sport, past and present:
- Larry Walker, Right Fielder (Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies & St. Louis Cardinals)
- Joey Votto, First Baseman (Cincinnati Reds)
- Justin Morneau, First Baseman (Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies & Chicago White Sox)
- Ferguson Jenkins, Pitcher (Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, & Chicago Cubs)
- Mike Soroka, Pitcher (Atlanta Braves)
