American League

The American League (or AL) is one of the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB). The other is the National League (or NL). The American League is made up of 15 teams. At the end of each season, five of these teams go to the "post-season" where one will win the American League championship. The champions of the American League plays against the champions of the National League in the World Series. The team that wins the World Series is the champion of Major League Baseball. Teams in the American league usually play against other teams in the American league, except for a few games a year when they play National league teams. There are 3 Divisions of the American League: AL East, AL Central, and AL West.

Differences

From 1973 to 2021, the only big difference between the American League and the National League was that the AL used the "Designated Hitter" (or DH). The Designated Hitter is a player who does not play in the field, but is used to bat for the worst hitter in his team's "lineup" (usually the pitcher). The NL did not use the Designated Hitter, and all players in the "lineup" had to bat and field for themselves. If the DH played an NL game in an NL park, he often played First Base if at all. If they play in an AL park, the NL team could use a DH. During the 2020 season, shortened to 60 regular-season games due to the public response to COVID-19, both leagues used the DH. The NL permanently added the DH in the 2022 season.

Related pages

• National League