This spring, Major League Baseball returns to NBC (and gets welcomed to Peacock) with the debut of a brand-new weekly series, Sunday Night Baseball. Just like Sunday Night Football and Sunday Night Basketball before it, the series will highlight some of the biggest MLB matchups each and every week, with analysis and commentary from some of the best baseball experts in the business. 

How to Watch

Watch Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock.

As with every new MLB season, there will be newcomers to the game, and the league, who are still getting used to the structure of professional baseball. So, ahead of Sunday Night Baseball’s debut on NBC and Peacock later this month, let’s take a closer look at the MLB’s current league alignments, and how that sets up the postseason each fall. 

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How many teams are in the MLB?

Major League Baseball’s current structure includes 30 teams, divided into two leagues of 15 teams each: the American League and the National League. Each of those leagues is then further divided into three divisions of five teams each, with both the AL and the NL featuring an East, West, and Central Division. 

Much like the NFL with its two-conference structure, MLB teams spend most of the season playing teams within their league, and play the most games per year against other teams in their division. There’s also interleague play, in which NL and AL teams face off, mixed in along the way in an effort to keep things balanced. 

Which teams are in each MLB league?

Now that you know the number of teams, you’re probably wondering where each team fits within this structure, so here’s a handy guide. 

American LeagueAL EastBaltimore OriolesBoston Red SoxNew York YankeesTampa Bay RaysToronto Blue JaysAL CentralChicago White SoxCleveland GuardiansDetroit TigersKansas City RoyalsMinnesota TwinsAL WestAthletics (formerly of Oakland, moving to Las Vegas by 2028)Houston AstrosLos Angeles AngelsSeattle MarinersTexas RangersNational LeagueNL EastAtlanta BravesMiami MarlinsNew York MetsPhiladelphia PhilliesWashington NationalsNL CentralChicago CubsCincinnati RedsMilwaukee BrewersPittsburgh PiratesSt. Louis CardinalsNL WestArizona DiamondbacksColorado RockiesLos Angeles DodgesSan Diego PadresSan Francisco Giants

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How does the MLB postseason work?

Each MLB team will play 162 (yes, you read that correctly) games across a regular season, with a break in mid-summer for the MLB All-Star Game. By early October, the regular season is over and the playoffs begin. Of the league’s 30 teams, only 12 will advance to the playoffs. 

Playoff eligibility is determined by win-loss record, with a particular emphasis on each team’s divisional record. The teams with the best win-loss record in each of their divisions are declared Division Champions and gain automatic entry into the playoffs. The three teams with the next-best records throughout each league are given “wild card” spots and move into the first round of the playoffs, for a total of six teams from each league competing in the postseason. The Division Champion with the worst record must play in the Wild Card round, while the other two Division Champions from each league get an automatic first-round bye. 

Catch all the MLB action when Sunday Night Baseball premieres later this month on NBC and Peacock.