How Many Baseball Games In A Season? (& Why So Many)

If you’re a baseball fan, you know that baseball games last long, especially compared to other sports. When I first learned that baseball games are so long, I immediately wanted to know whether something unusual happens on the game amounts within a season as well? How many baseball games are there in a season?

Each Major League Baseball (MLB) team plays 162 games in a season. In lower levels of play, there aren’t as many games. For example, (AAA) Minor League Baseball teams play 150 games, college baseball teams play 56 games, and high school baseball teams play 25-40 games in a season.

Generally, MLB, Minor League Baseball, and other lower levels of official baseball have a set number of games in a season. These are often referred to as regular seasons. College baseball often has a set amount of games as well.

However, the amount of high school baseball games may vary in a season, depending on how many games each state allows teams to play.

Check out the table below for full insights into baseball leagues and their games in a season!

Baseball League	Games In A Season
Major League Baseball (MLB)	162
(AAA) Minor League Baseball	150
(AA) Minor League Baseball	138
High-A Minor League Baseball	132
Low-A Minor League Baseball	132
College Baseball	56
High School Baseball	25-40

It’s fascinating how big differences you can find from within different levels of baseballs. When talking about MLB and the Minor League Baseball level, it makes you wonder why there are so many games.

For example, NHL and NBA seasons have 82 games and the NFL season has only 17 games for each team. Why does MLB have so many games? That’s what I’m about to explain next.

Learn more from Major League Baseball schedule and Minor League Baseball organization.

Why Are There So Many Games In a Baseball Season?

Within a baseball season, there are a lot of games and even more baseballs, but when you mix that with the long time each game lasts, the players and fans will spend a lot of time on the field and stadium. This raises the question, why are there so many games in a baseball season?

There are so many games in an MLB season because there are 30 teams on the roster. Therefore, a lot of testing and competing between teams is necessary to determine the best team of the season accurately.

The MLB games are played in divisions, where every team plays a set number of games only against a handful of opponents within their division. From there, the best ones will proceed, and the same process will continue until the final.

All 30 teams won’t play against every team because it would cause too many issues and inconstancies. Therefore, the teams are placed into divisions, and they will play many times against only a small amount of teams, where the best ones will then move forward.

Still, the amount of games is high, so there must be other reasons for it? Well, there are a total of three reasons why there are so many games in a baseball season, especially in the MLB.

1. Reliability: When it comes to baseball with 30 teams, reliable outcomes will only come from many games. Volume creates reliability, which is required to really determine the best team of the season. If only a handful of games were played, the teams could advance because of luck, bad game, incostistant performance, weather, and more. Therefore, the teams need to play multiple times against eachother.
2. Physical Demand: Unlike sports such as football, ice hockey, soccer, and basketball, baseball isn’t nearly as physically demanding. Therefore, more games can be hosted to increase the outcomes accuracy because the players won’t suffer from physical exhaustion. Don’t get me wrong, baseball is tiring and can increase the risk of injury, but it’s necessary for the season.
3. Fan Convenience: In the United States, not many things are taken more seriously than baseball. That’s why many games are hosted, so the millions of fans could find freetime from their resposnibilities to get their chance to root for their team.

When looking at the big picture and all the reasons combined, you can see why as many as 162 baseball games in the MLB season.

How Long Does a Baseball Season Last?

Considering a large number of baseball games and the outdoor nature of the sport, how long does a baseball season last?

Typically, the baseball season lasts approximately six months, starting from late March/early April and lasts until late September/early October. Each of the 30 baseball teams will play 162 games during this time, resulting in 2430 games per season.

A baseball season lasts exactly as long as an NHL season, but the other starts were to other begins. Given that fact, baseball players play approximately twice the games in the same amount of time as hockey players. However, hockey is far more physically demanding, so the rest times are longer.

Curious how to calculate the total number of MLB games? Check out the formula below.

162 (games) x 30 (teams) = 4860 / 2 (2 teams per game) = 2430 total games.

Calculation for total MLB games in a season.

When Did MLB Start Playing 162 Games?

Speaking of the length of MLB games, the number of exact 162 games seems weird. Why do the teams play 162 games instead of 100, 150, 160, or one similar, more reasonable number, and when did it come to play.

In short, the previous 154 baseball game rule was replaced to the current 162 in 1961 by the American League and in 1962 by the National League. It all came down to the math about increased team amounts and reasoning such as prevention of tighter schedule and fewer ticket sales.

When examining the years when the season game amount changes, it has been bouncing up and down all the time.

After 1961 and 1962, the 162 games were changed to 60 in 2020 because of coronavirus. The game amount was set only at 60 games,

At the time of writing this post in 2022, the MLB has changed back the 162 game rule back, and everything should proceed normally.