History and evolution of MLB: the world's largest baseball league

The history of Major League Baseball (MLB) dates back to 1869, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional team. Although there were already teams that secretly paid players, this was the official starting point of professional baseball. In 1876, the National League was founded, and in 1901, the American League emerged. Both coexisted as independent entities until 1903, when they signed an agreement that led to the first World Series, becoming rivals within the same structure. It wasn't until the year 2000 that MLB was legally consolidated as a single organization, led by the Commissioner of Baseball, headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

Sports, scandals, and expansion of Major League Baseball

The early years were tumultuous, with constant team changes, mergers, and conflicts. Even so, baseball gained popularity, even after the scandal of the Black Sox of 1919, when eight players from the Chicago White Sox were accused of fixing the World Series.

The "dead-ball" era (before 1920) gave way to the home run era, spearheaded by Babe Ruth, who transformed the sport into a massive phenomenon. MLB survived the Great Depression and the Second World War, until in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the racial barrier by debuting with the Brooklyn Dodgers, forever changing the history of the sport.

MLB Expansion and Modernization

Between the 1950s and 1970s, MLB expanded to the south and west of the United States, incorporating new franchises such as the "Los Angeles Angels", "Houston Astros", "Seattle Mariners", and "Toronto Blue Jays". The inclusion of "Canadian teams" and the relocation of franchises strengthened the league's presence throughout the continent. In the 90s, modern stadiums, artificial turf, and the use of the designated hitter were implemented, while MLB began to attract players from all over the world, especially from Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. This globalization expanded its fan base and media presence.

The Age of Performance and Challenges

The dominance of home runs in the 90s was overshadowed by the controversy of anabolic steroid use. The Mitchell Report (2007) exposed dozens of players involved in doping, affecting the image of the league. Despite this, MLB adapted. It introduced new rules, such as the use of the universal designated hitter in 2022, pitch clocks in 2023, and an expanded postseason format with 12 teams, to maintain competitiveness and fan interest.

Current MLB Structure

MLB is made up of 30 teams, divided into the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with three divisions per league: East, Central and West. The regular season consists of 162 games, and the qualified teams compete in the postseason until reaching the World Series, held since 1903.

American League Teams

División	Equipo	Ciudad/Área	Estadio	Capacidad
Este	Baltimore Orioles	Baltimore, Maryland	Oriole Park at Camden Yards	48,876
Este	Boston Red Sox	Boston, Massachusetts	Fenway Park	39,928
Este	New York Yankees	Bronx, Nueva York	Yankee Stadium	54,251
Este	Tampa Bay Rays	San Petersburgo, Florida	Tropicana Field	38,390
Este	Toronto Blue Jays	Toronto, Ontario	Rogers Centre	53,506
Central	Chicago White Sox	Chicago, Illinois	Guaranteed Rate Field	40,615
Central	Cleveland Guardians	Cleveland, Ohio	Progressive Field	43,345
Central	Detroit Tigers	Detroit, Míchigan	Comerica Park	41,083
Central	Kansas City Royals	Kansas City, Misuri	Kauffman Stadium	40,933
Central	Minnesota Twins	Mineápolis, Minnesota	Target Field	40,000
Oeste	Houston Astros	Houston, Texas	Minute Maid Park	40,950
Oeste	Los Angeles Angels	Anaheim, California	Angel Stadium of Anaheim	45,050
Oeste	Athletics	Sacramento, California	Sutter Health Park	10,624
Oeste	Seattle Mariners	Seattle, Washington	T-Mobile Park	47,116
Oeste	Texas Rangers	Arlington, Texas	Globe Life Field	40,300

National League Teams

División	Equipo	Ciudad/Área	Estadio	Capacidad
Este	Atlanta Braves	Atlanta, Georgia	Truist Park	41,500
Este	Miami Marlins	Miami, Florida	LoanDepot Park	36,742
Este	New York Mets	Queens, Nueva York	Citi Field	41,800
Este	Philadelphia Phillies	Filadelfia, Pensilvania	Citizens Bank Park	43,647
Este	Washington Nationals	Washington D. C.	Nationals Park	41,222
Central	Chicago Cubs	Chicago, Illinois	Wrigley Field	41,160
Central	Cincinnati Reds	Cincinnati, Ohio	Great American Ball Park	42,059
Central	Milwaukee Brewers	Milwaukee, Wisconsin	American Family Field	41,900
Central	Pittsburgh Pirates	Pittsburgh, Pensilvania	PNC Park	38,496
Central	St. Louis Cardinals	San Luis, Misuri	Busch Stadium	43,975
Oeste	Arizona Diamondbacks	Phoenix, Arizona	Chase Field	49,033
Oeste	Colorado Rockies	Denver, Colorado	Coors Field	50,445
Oeste	Los Angeles Dodgers	Los Ángeles, California	Dodger Stadium	56,000
Oeste	San Diego Padres	San Diego, California	Petco Park	42,445
Oeste	San Francisco Giants	San Francisco, California	Oracle Park	41,915

Executive organization:

• Current Commissioner: Rob Manfred
• MLB Advanced Media: manages MLB.com and each team's websites
• MLB Network: produces audiovisual content based in Secaucus, New Jersey

Postseason and World Series

The season's climax is the World Series, a best-of-seven series between the champions of each league. Since 1903, it has only been suspended twice: in 1904 (boycott by the New York Giants) and in 1994 (players' strike). Among the most successful teams are the New York Yankees with 27 titles, followed by the St. Louis Cardinals (11), Los Angeles Dodgers (8) and Boston Red Sox (9). As of April 2025, five franchises have never won the championship, including the Seattle Mariners, who haven't even reached the World Series.

Global Transmission and Media Expansion

MLB boasts the highest attendance figures among all sports leagues worldwide. Its international reach has been enhanced through television and streaming agreements with:

• Fox, ESPN, TBS, and MLB Network in the USA
• Movistar Plus+ in Spain
• Grupo Corripio and Altice in the Dominican Republic
• Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada
• Imagen Televisión and Fox Sports in Mexico
• Disney+ and ESPN for Latin America

Platforms like Apple TV+, Roku, Max, and ViX also stream exclusive games, including the postseason.

The All-Star Game and Spring Training

Each July, the best players from both leagues face each other in the All-Star Game, a tradition started in 1933. Previously, the teams prepare in spring training in Arizona (Cactus League) and Florida (Grapefruit League), attracting thousands of fans and scouts.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

MLB is not just a league; it's a cultural icon of the United States. It has influenced music, film, literature, and politics. Baseball has been used as a metaphor for justice, inclusion, effort, and patriotism. Baseball has generated legends like "Hank Aaron", "Derek Jeter", "Mariano Rivera", "Roberto Clemente" and "Shohei Ohtani", idols who have transcended the playing field.