A true MLB fan can answer all these MLB related questions. Let’s see how many you can answer. Don’t worry if you cannot answer any; we have the answers for you.
#1. How does baseball season work?
The highest level of baseball is Major League. It is divided into the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). Both of these are further divided into three divisions: East, West, and Central.
The season initiates at the end of March or the beginning of April and winds up in October. Both Leagues are run by a commissioner who gets elected by the buyers of the 30 teams.
In Major League Baseball, 162 games are played for each of the 30 teams present in both leagues AL and NL.
The teams with the best match results from all the six divisions qualify for playoffs. It’s a time when baseball fans get most excited; also, wild-card teams can surprise everyone.
After the playoff series, only two teams remain that battle against each other over a “best of seven” match series. The first team to win the 4 out of 7 games becomes the Major League Baseball Champion.
#2. How does the baseball playoffs work?
Ten teams, five teams in the American League and National League, make the playoffs when the season ends.
The 1st playoff “Wild Card Game” is played in each league between 2 wild card teams and two teams overall from West, Central and East divisions with the best record. The two winners move one step further to play in the Division Series.
Both winners play a series of best-of-five, the team with the better record gains the home-field advantage. Also, two winners from the remaining divisions play against each other in the same best-of-five series.
Only two teams advance to the League Championship Series (LCS) after the playoffs.
#3. How many times do MLB teams play each other?
There’s no specific number of how many games MLB teams play against each other. Before the League Championship Series, both American and National League and tiebreakers can change how many times a single team plays against each other within the division.
Even if a single team plays at least one series against all the teams, it could be more in the case of Wild Card games and Division Series. Since all the teams in the same division play each other 15-20 games a season.
As each team plays a 162-games season, they play most of the game in their division.
#4. How many days off do MLB players get?
Overall, MLB players get a single day off every couple of games throughout the whole season, either on Monday or Thursday and three days off during July for All-Star Break.
But some other twists have been seen around for special circumstances like accommodation for extensive traveling in the Major League, resulting in 1-3 days off.
#5. How many hours do baseball players train a week?
The average time the baseball player trains is somewhere between 21 to 28 hours a week. Training in MLB is different from player to player. Almost all MLB players are athletically more gifted than the rest of the world in height and weight.
The average MLB player is 6’7 tall and weighs somewhere between 217lbs to 230lbs. The players spend a lot of time strengthening their core.
Training techniques evolve faster and become more effective, and so do MBL players in terms of speed and strength. There are several exercises that almost every baseball player does during their everyday routine.
Baseball players train every day, both off-season and during leagues. They play for 18 hours minimum a week, in which a game lasts around 3 hours a day—also, 6 hours of warm-up that is also a part of the training.
#6. How many innings are in minor league baseball?
A baseball game comprises nine innings, but there are seven innings in softball and secondary school. The visiting team bats first while the home team takes its turn afterwards to bat.
However, extra innings will follow if both teams have the same score at the end of the game. The idea is to continue playing until one team gains more runs than the other to win.
The longest recorded innings in the history of Minor League baseball was 33, in the year 1981 played between Rochester Red Wings and Pawtucket Red Sox.
#7. Can you try out for an MLB team?
Numerous youngsters dream about becoming professional baseball players, yet not all are drafted into major leagues immediately.
Unfortunately, there are no tryout camps for Minor League. But Major League Baseball’s Scouting Bureau holds tryout camps each year to find new rising talents that can be identified and signed by 30 MLB teams.
Also, each year many pro baseball teams exclusively promote and hold tryout camps for players who might have been denied previously in major leagues. It’s all about hard work and continuous effort.
A few tips to look at tryouts as a new chance to get back out there:
- Try to show up early since the first impression is everything
- Buy proper gears for baseball to look like a player
- Play like as you usually do; don’t let it get onto your nerves
- Be patient, wait for the right moment and attack with all the enthusiasm you have
- Have a decent attitude
- Be positive about tryouts
- Be an active team player at last
#8. How many years does it take to become a professional baseball player?
It all depends where do you stand right now. How much experience do you have? Have you played before? Or if you are already on a veteran stage, if not elite.
Generally, baseball promotion is based on performance, skills, and both emotional and physical maturity.
Usually, it may take 5 to 10 years to be called a professional baseball player if you are a minor league player.