A full game
The glossary says a game that is not cut short lasts nine innings. If the home club is ahead after the visitor makes three outs in the top of the ninth, the home club does not bat.
MLB
MLB
Two leagues, six divisions, and a full game of nine innings on the MLB glossary.
History · Teams · Playoffs · Commissioner's Trophy · Contact
A short history
MLB.com’s regulation-game glossary says a full game lasts until the trailing team has had the chance to make 27 outs, which is nine innings. If the score is tied after that, the game continues until there is a winner.
The World Series trophy profile says Major League Baseball created the trophy in 1967, and that the St. Louis Cardinals were the first club to receive it.
Current teams
30 clubs from the published list. Open a club for its desk. Clubs from the MLB standings file.
AL Central
NL East
NL Central
Playoffs
MLB.com’s playoff format says 12 clubs qualify, six from each league: the three division winners and three Wild Card clubs. The two division winners with the best records get a bye. There is no one-game playoff to break a tie in the standings.
The Wild Card Series is best of three, all at the higher seed. The No. 3 seed plays the No. 6 seed. The No. 4 seed plays the No. 5 seed. The winners move on. The losers are out.
The Division Series is best of five, in a 2-2-1, with home field to the higher seed. The No. 1 seed plays the winner of the 4-vs-5 series. The No. 2 seed plays the winner of the 3-vs-6 series.
The winners play a best-of-seven League Championship Series. Home field goes to the higher seed. The winner is that league’s champion, and those two champions play a best-of-seven World Series. Home field in the World Series goes to the club with the better regular-season record.
For 2026, MLB.com set the Wild Card Series to open on September 29 and World Series Game 1 for October 23, at the league champion with the better regular-season record.
Commissioner's Trophy
The two league champions meet in the World Series. MLB.com says the official name of that trophy is the Commissioner's Trophy. The commissioner presents it to the owner, general manager, and manager of the championship club. One full-sized trophy is made each year.
The same profile says the trophy carries 30 flags, one for each major league club.
Contact
League office
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
1271 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
212-931-7800
How it works
A regulation game
The same page says a game becomes official once the visitor has made 15 outs and the home club is leading, or once the home club has made 15 outs.
Extra innings
If the clubs are tied after 27 outs each, the glossary says play continues until the home club leads, or the visitor leads and the home club then makes three outs without tying or going ahead.
The clubs
The standings file used on this site groups the 30 clubs into the American League East, Central, and West, and the National League East, Central, and West.