Baseball is often referred to as America’s national pastime, with a storied history dating back over 150 years. But what makes baseball truly unique compared to other major professional sports leagues is its marathon-like 162 game regular season schedule. At first glance, this lengthy season may seem excessive or even absurd. Why on earth would a single sport need to play so many games?
As it turns out, there are a number of compelling reasons baseball relies on such a large sample size of games, ranging from statistical significance and revenue generation to player conditioning and fan engagement. While baseball’s grueling schedule certainly requires endurance, the format provides a level of drama and significance to each game that is unmatched in other sports.
History of the MLB Schedule
Baseball’s origins date back to the mid-1800s, when the game was played in a more informal and localized manner. The first professional baseball league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, was established in 1871 and teams played around 60 games per season. As baseball grew in popularity and became more organized, the schedule expanded.
The National League, founded in 1876, started with teams playing between 60-70 games. By the late 1880s, the schedule had increased to around 130 games as rail travel made longer road trips feasible. The American League began play in 1901 and settled on a 140 game schedule.
In 1961, the American League expanded to 10 teams and adopted the modern 162 game schedule, which was matched by the National League in 1962. This allowed for each team to play every other team in the league the same number of times. The 162 game schedule has now been used for over 60 years, balancing competitiveness, revenue, and tradition.
Regular Season Format
The MLB regular season currently consists of 162 games for each team over approximately 6 months from early April through late September. Each team plays 81 home games and 81 away games against teams in their league and division, as well as interleague play.
The season is divided into spring training, a regular season of 162 games, a postseason, and the World Series. Teams play almost every day during the regular season, with only about 15-20 off days. The long regular season allows for games against each opponent both home and away.
There are some changes coming to the format in 2023, including a more balanced schedule where each team will play every other team at least once. However, the lengthy 162 game regular season format will remain in place.
Importance of Large Sample Sizes
Baseball’s long 162-game regular season helps ensure that the best teams rise to the top. Over a large sample size, randomness and luck even out, and a team’s true talent level is revealed. As statisticians point out, you need a large sample to achieve statistical power and accurately identify the superior teams. With only 16 games like in the NFL, fluky results can skew perceptions.
But by playing 162 games, baseball minimizes variance and allows the cream to rise. The marathon regular season acts as a rigorous test to determine the best clubs. Baseball wisely relies on the law of large numbers rather than placing too much weight on a small sample prone to randomness.
Revenue Considerations
The length of the MLB season is closely tied to revenue generation. Quite simply, more games means more tickets sold at stadiums and higher television and advertising revenue.
With 162 games per team, there are 2,430 regular season MLB games in total. Compare that to the NFL, which has just 256 regular season games across all teams. MLB’s large volume of games provides many opportunities to generate ticket, concession, and merchandise sales at stadiums across the country. Television contracts are also more lucrative thanks to there being 162 games to broadcast per team.
More games on the schedule allows MLB to sell valuable advertising spots on broadcasts to generate further revenue. Advertising rates are driven by audience size and frequency of exposure. With baseball on nearly every day from April to September, MLB can promise brands repeated exposure to a captive audience of fans.
The sheer volume of MLB’s regular season schedule is a major factor in its ability to generate billions in annual revenue. While other sports may have higher per-game revenue, baseball makes up for it in the aggregate thanks to having over 10 times as many regular season games.
Player Conditioning
Modern baseball players are able to endure the grueling 162-game regular season schedule thanks in part to advances in training, medicine, nutrition, and recovery. Players today have access to state-of-the-art facilities, technologies, and experts that previous generations did not.
Strength and conditioning coaches craft specialized workout regimens and diets to help players stay in peak physical shape over the many months of the season. Trainers monitor workloads and watch for signs of fatigue or injury. Players have access to hot and cold tubs, massage therapists, and other recovery modalities to help their bodies bounce back after games.
Advances in sports medicine and treatments allow players to recover faster from injuries and ailments that may have sidelined them for longer in the past. Surgeries are less invasive and rehab programs help players regain strength and mobility quickly. Nutritionists provide personalized meal plans packed with nutrients to fuel performance and aid recovery.
The combination of modern training, treatment, nutrition and recovery allows today’s baseball players to withstand the demands of playing almost every day for over six months. While grueling, the schedule is manageable with the help of modern sports performance resources. Previous generations did not have access to the same level of support, making the 162-game season even more challenging on their bodies.
Providing Playing Time
The long 162-game regular season allows MLB teams to provide playing opportunities for more players on their roster. Teams carry 26 active players for most of the season, with the ability to expand to a 40-man roster in September. This is significantly larger than sports like basketball, which have 15-man rosters.
Having more roster spots allows teams to distribute playing time among role players, prospects, and veterans over the marathon MLB season. Players who may not crack the starting lineup still get opportunities to play and develop at the major league level. The large roster size helps ensure that more players get the chance to contribute over the long 162-game schedule.
Fan Engagement
Baseball’s long 162-game regular season helps keep fans engaged with the sport for a larger portion of the year compared to other major professional sports leagues. The large number of games allows fans to follow their favorite team’s ups and downs over the course of six months, rather than just a few months. This extended engagement helps build fandom and grow the popularity of the sport.
Research has shown a strong correlation between winning percentage and MLB game attendance, indicating fans are more engaged and interested when their team is doing well. The long season provides more opportunities for teams to go on winning streaks and capture fan interest. It also allows teams to recover from slow starts or losing streaks without losing fans for the year. If the season was shorter, fans may lose interest more quickly when their team is losing.
Overall, baseball’s extensive 162-game schedule helps promote ongoing fan engagement and interest in the sport. The longevity of the season is key to building fandom over time and sustaining the popularity of Major League Baseball.
Comparison to Other Sports
The MLB season is significantly longer than other major professional sports leagues in the United States. The NBA and NHL seasons last around 6 months and teams play 82 games each. The NFL season is even shorter at just 17 weeks and teams play 16 games total.
In contrast, the MLB regular season lasts approximately 6 months and teams play 162 games. The MLB postseason adds another month of play as well. This means an MLB team that makes it to the World Series could play around 185 total games, compared to just 16 games for an NFL team.
The extended length of the MLB season is a defining feature of baseball compared to other major sports. While the NBA and NHL have more games than the NFL, their seasons are less than half as long as MLB’s. The marathon-like quality of the MLB schedule is unique and allows for larger sample sizes, more revenue opportunities, and an emphasis on endurance and consistency over a long period.
Conclusion
Baseball’s 162-game regular season schedule has developed over time for a variety of reasons. The long season allows for large sample sizes that reduce variance and luck, providing a better measure of team quality. It also maximizes revenue opportunities through ticket sales, media rights, and sponsorship deals. Conditioning players for the grind of the schedule is a key consideration, as is providing ample playing time for the expanded roster. Fans are given nearly daily engagement with their favorite team over six months.
Compared to other major sports, baseball relies on its lengthy schedule more than postseason play to determine the best teams. Ultimately, the 162-game format has stood the test of time as an integral part of baseball at the highest level. It balances competitiveness, financial success, and entertainment for players and fans alike. While grueling, the marathon regular season shapes the narrative of baseball season and helps crown the most deserving champion.
