MLB News, Stats and Match Previews
Stay informed with the latest Major League Baseball news, insights, betting tips, and interviews all in one place! SportsBoom offers a complete guide to the season format, teams, rivalries, legends, interviews, and the future of MLB. We also deliver detailed MLB match previews and exclusive interviews with players and insiders, giving fans deeper context behind every game.
How the MLB Season Works
The MLB is a stacked marathon of games, spanning over six months from Opening Day to the conclusion of the World Series.
The primary structure involves two main phases:
Regular Season
Each of the 30 teams plays a demanding 162-game schedule, running from late March or early April through late September or early October.
Postseason (Playoffs)
The top teams advance to a playoff tournament, a best-of-seven championship series that typically concludes in late October or early November. 12 teams participate in the playoffs. The MLB playoffs feature four types of series that begin with the wild card series and conclude at the World Series. They are:
- Wild Card Series (best-of-3): This is the first round of the baseball playoffs, with the higher seeds hosting all games at their home ballparks.
- The Division Series (best-of-5): This is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason that features four series.
- League Championship Series (best-of-7): This is the semifinal round of the MLB that consists of two best-of-seven playoff rounds.
- World Series (best-of-7): This is the final round of the MLB postseason. It features the winners of the AL and the NL.
MLB Teams & Divisions
The MLB has 30 teams, split into AL and NL, each with three divisions: East, Central, and West.
American League:
East Division | Central Division | West Division |
Baltimore Orioles | Chicago White Sox | Athletics |
Boston Red Sox | Cleveland Guardians | Houston Astros |
New York Yankees | Detroit Tigers | Los Angeles Angels |
Tampa Bay Rays | Kansas City Royals | Seattle Mariners |
Toronto Blue Jays | Minnesota Twins | Texas Rangers |
National League
East Division | Central Division | West Division |
Atlanta Braves | Chicago Cubs | Arizona Diamondbacks |
Miami Marlins | Cincinnati Reds | Colorado Rockies |
New York Mets | Milwaukee Brewers | Los Angeles Dodgers |
Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | San Diego Padres |
Washington Nationals | St. Louis Cardinals | San Francisco Giants |
Iconic Clubs
- New York Yankees: The Yankees are baseball's most dominant franchise, holding a record 27 World Series titles, far more than any other team.
- Los Angeles Dodgers: The Dodgers are one of MLB's most storied franchises, known for their deep history, sustained success, and passionate and widespread fanbase.
- Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox are known for their rich history, breaking the infamous “Curse of the Bambino” in 2004 after 86 years without a World Series win.
- Chicago Cubs: The Cubs are famously associated with a prolonged championship dry spell known as the "Curse of the Billy Goat", a legendary 108-year championship drought that was finally broken when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series.
- St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals are the second-most successful franchise in MLB history in terms of World Series titles.
- San Francisco Giants: The Giants are a historic MLB franchise, established in NYC in 1883 (as the Gothams), known for their rich history, legendary players like Willie Mays, and intense rivalry with the Dodgers.
Classic MLB Rivalries
MLB is built on rivalries that span cities, coasts, and generations. Some of the classic rivalries that have defined the sport include:
- New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: This is a rivalry in the MLB pitting these two AL East franchises, who have decades of history, postseason clashes, and victories.
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants: This is one of the fiercest rivalries in the MLB that features intense division battles.
- Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals: This 130-year-old rivalry is a storied saga that resonates with regional pride and economic competition between two iconic cities.
- New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves: This rivalry truly ignited in 1994 when MLB’s divisions were realigned, and the Braves were placed in the NL East alongside the Mets.
MLB Legends & Modern Stars
From early icons to modern superstars, MLB history is packed with all-time greats that have defined the sport. They are split into two categories:
Legends (historical all-timers):
- Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth was a phenomenon who changed baseball forever with his bat and personality. His record for home runs in a season was 27. Babe set records for career (714) and single-season (60 in 1927) home runs, with his records standing for decades. - Willie Mays
Nicknamed the “Say Hey Kid,” Mays was renowned for his electrifying "five-tool" talent (hitting, power, speed, fielding, throwing). He is the only player in MLB history with 50+ homers and 20+ triples in a season (51 HRs in '55, 20 triples in '57). - Hank Aaron
Hank Aaron was a legendary baseball Hall of Famer famous for breaking Babe Ruth's home run record (hitting 755) and being a consistent powerhouse hitter with 3,771 hits, 2,297 RBIs, and 25 All-Star selections over 23 seasons - Ted Williams
Ted Williams was a legendary Boston Red Sox left fielder, widely considered one of baseball's greatest hitters, famous for his .406 batting average in 1941 and his ".344 lifetime average, 521 home runs, and record-setting on-base percentage. - Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was a pioneering American athlete and civil rights icon who broke Major League Baseball's (MLB) color barrier in 1947. He demonstrated that talent and dignity transcended skin color. - Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig was a legendary New York Yankees first baseman known as the “Iron Horse” for his incredible durability and skill, holding the record for the most consecutive games played (2,130) and winning multiple MVP awards, as well as six World Series titles. - Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds is a legendary yet controversial former MLB superstar, renowned for his record-breaking power hitting, including the all-time home run records (762 career, 73 single-season) and a record seven MVP awards.
Modern-era stars (evergreen framing):
- Two-way phenoms redefining roles
Modern two-way players, led by the unprecedented success of Shohei Ohtani, are actively redefining traditional baseball roles by demonstrating that elite-level pitching and hitting in the same season are possible. - MVP-level hitters
Modern "MVP-level hitters" are elite MLB players who consistently deliver exceptional offensive performance and frequently appear at the top of MVP voting. They include: Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Juan Soto. - Ace pitchers anchoring rotations
Modern MLB aces anchoring rotations are defined by dominance over shorter outings, high strikeout rates, and excellent control. The elite pitchers of the current era include: Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Garrett Crochet, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Future of MLB
MLB is actively evolving through significant on-field rule changes designed to increase the pace of play and action, and through extensive off-field digital and community initiatives.
- Rule Tweaks & Pace of Play
MLB's rule tweaks, focus on the pace of play with the pitch clock (15s empty, 18s runners on), limits on mound visits, and wider bases to boost action and shorten games, successfully reducing average game times significantly.
Analytics & Player Development
MLB analytics and player development merge data science with baseball to gain a competitive edge, using advanced metrics to personalize training, refine game strategy, scout talent, and monitor player health.
- Global Reach & New Fans
MLB is expanding its global reach through star international players (like Ohtani), major international games (WBC, London Series), rule changes making the game faster/more exciting, and connecting with youth via music/fashion/digital platforms.