What is MLB?
Major League Baseball is the professional summit of world baseball — 30 clubs in the American and National Leagues, lineage to 1876, playing a 162-game season toward the postseason and the World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers are back-to-back champions, beating Toronto in seven games in 2025 — the first repeat since the 2000 Yankees.[1] [2]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Los Angeles Dodgers | World Series: 4–3 vs Toronto Blue Jays — first repeat since 2000 |
| 2024 | Los Angeles Dodgers | World Series: 4–1 vs New York Yankees |
| 2023 | Texas Rangers | World Series: 4–1 vs Arizona Diamondbacks — first title |
| 2022 | Houston Astros | World Series: 4–2 vs Philadelphia Phillies |
| 2021 | Atlanta Braves | World Series: 4–2 vs Houston Astros |
| 2020 | Los Angeles Dodgers | World Series: 4–2 vs Tampa Bay Rays (Arlington bubble) |
| 2019 | Washington Nationals | World Series: 4–3 vs Houston Astros — first title |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | World Series: 4–1 vs Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | World Series: 4–3 vs Los Angeles Dodgers |
| 2016 | Chicago Cubs | World Series: 4–3 vs Cleveland — ending the 108-year drought |
World Series champions of the last ten seasons.
How does MLB work?
No salary cap but a luxury tax; a July draft and a separate international signing system that brings waves of Caribbean talent; 40-man rosters atop the Minor League ladder; and a 12-team postseason to the best-of-seven World Series, first played in 1903. Over a quarter of players are foreign-born, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela leading.[1] [3]
Why does MLB matter?
It is the destination league of the sport worldwide — an MLB contract, a 40-man roster spot or even a minor-league deal with a major-league organization is baseball's defining professional credential, documented publicly from signing day onward.[1] [2]
References
- MLB — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- MLB — 2025 World Series. Accessed August 2026.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Major League Baseball. Accessed August 2026.