2016 MLB Season

The 2016 Major League Baseball season began on April 3, 2016 with a Sunday afternoon matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two teams with the best regular-season records in 2015, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The regular season ended on Sunday, October 2, 2016, and the postseason on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, with the Chicago Cubs coming back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and win their first championship since 1908.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim shortened their name to its original ''Los Angeles Angels''.

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game's 87th edition was played on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego, California, home of the San Diego Padres. The American League was awarded home-field advantage in the World Series by winning the game 4–2.

Standings

American League

National League

Postseason

Bracket

Schedule

As was the case in 2015, teams were scheduled to play 19 games against each division opponent for a total of 76 games, and six or seven games against each team from the other two divisions in its league for a total of 66 games. The Civil Rights Game was not played this year.

All teams were scheduled to play 20 interleague games throughout the season. For 2016, the interleague matchups were to be AL East vs. NL West, AL Central vs. NL East, and AL West vs. NL Central.

On July 3, 2016, the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins played the Fort Bragg Game, a special neutral-site game at Fort Bragg Stadium, a newly constructed field in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in observance of the Independence Day long weekend. It was the first professional, regular-season sporting event held on an active military installation. A two-game series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins was also scheduled for Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico in May 2016; however, on May 6, 2016, Major League Baseball announced that the Puerto Rico games would be postponed due to the ongoing Zika virus epidemic, and moved back to Marlins Park.

Rule changes

In February 2016, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to two rule changes.
*Rule 6.01(j) delineates criteria for a legal slide while trying to break up a double play, which is defined as making contact with the ground before reaching the base, being able to and attempting to reach the base with a hand or foot, being able to and attempting to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate) and not changing his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder. This is intended to protect infielders while still allowing for aggressive baserunning.
*The second rule change limits managers and coaches visits to the mound to 30 seconds and shortens between innings break times by 20 seconds to match television commercial breaks.

Managerial changes

General managers

Offseason

In-season

Field managers

Offseason

In-season

League leaders

American League

National League

Milestones

Batters

*Trevor Story (COL):
**Became the sixth player in Major League history to hit two home runs in his debut, following Charlie Reilly, Bob Nieman, Bert Campaneris, Mark Quinn and J. P. Arencibia. He also became the first National League player to hit two home runs in his debut, and he became the first player to hit two homers in his debut on Opening Day.
**With a home run in his next game, Story joined the Cardinals' Joe Cunningham in 1954 as the only players in modern history (since 1900) with three home runs in his first two career games.
**With another home run in his third consecutive game, Story became the first player in Major League history to hit a home run in each of his first three big-league games. He is also the first player in Major League history to hit a home run for each of his first four hits.
**In his fourth career game, Story hit two more home runs making him the first player in Major League history to hit a home run in each of his first four big-league games. Story also became the fifth Major League player since 1900 to homer in each of his team's first four games of a season, joining Chris Davis, Nelson Cruz, Mark McGwire and Willie Mays.
**Hit his seventh home run of the season in his sixth career big-league game setting the record for most home runs through his first six Major League contests.
**With his ninth home run of April, on April 27 against Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Jon Niese, Story set a National League rookie record for home runs in April by breaking the record set in 2001 by Albert Pujols.
**Set the National League record for home runs by a rookie shortstop by hitting his 25th home run on July 23 against the Atlanta Braves. He broke the record that was set in 2007 by Troy Tulowitzki.
* Victor Martinez ( DET):
**Became the first player in modern Major League history to hit a pinch-hit home run in his team's first two regular-season games after hitting a home run on April 6 against the Miami Marlins.
**Recorded his 1,000th career RBI on a two-out single off Ian Kennedy of the Kansas City Royals on April 21. He became the 280th player and the fifth Venezuelan-born player to reach this mark.
* A. J. Pierzynski (ATL):
**Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the second inning against the Boston Red Sox on April 27. He became the 280th player to reach this mark.
*Ichiro Suzuki ( MIA):
**Recorded his 500th career stolen base in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 29. He became the 38th player to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 4,256th professional career hit, which included 1,278 hits from his time in Japan's major leagues that are not included in his official MLB total, with an infield single in the first inning against the San Diego Padres on June 15, unofficially tying Pete Rose for the all-time record for most professional hits. Suzuki then doubled in the ninth inning to unofficially surpass Rose's professional career hit record.
**Recorded his 3,000th career hit with a triple in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies on August 7. He became the 30th player to reach this mark.
*Bartolo Colón ( NYM):
**The pitcher hit his first career home run in the second inning against the San Diego Padres on May 7. At age , Colón became the oldest player in MLB history to hit his first career homer. The previous oldest player to do so was Randy Johnson, at age .
*David Ortiz (BOS):
**Recorded his 600th career double in the 11th inning against the Houston Astros on May 14. He became the 15th player to reach this mark. Ortiz also became the third player in Major League history to record at least 500 home runs and 600 doubles joining Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.
*Carlos Beltrán (TEX)/( NYY):
**Recorded his 400th career home run with a home run in the sixth inning on May 15 against the Chicago White Sox. He became the 54th player, and fourth switch-hitter, to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 2,500th career hit with a home run in the fourth inning on May 28 against the Tampa Bay Rays. He became the 99th player, and fourth Puerto Rican-born player (Roberto Clemente, Iván Rodríguez and Roberto Alomar), to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 1,500th career RBI with a single in the sixth inning on July 15 against the Boston Red Sox. He became the 55th player, and fourth switch-hitter, joining Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones, to reach this mark.
**Scored his 1,500th career run with a home run against the Baltimore Orioles on August 3. He became the 72nd player to reach this mark.
*Miguel Cabrera ( DET):
**Recorded his 500th career double in the seventh inning on May 23 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He became the 62nd player to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 1,500th career RBI with a two-run single in the seventh inning on July 22 against the Chicago White Sox. He became the 56th player to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 2,500th career hit with a single in the third inning against the Cleveland Indians on September 18. He became the 100th player to reach this mark.
*Adrián Beltré (TEX):
**Recorded his 1,500th career RBI with a home run in the first inning on May 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became the 54th player to reach this mark.
*Kris Bryant ( CHC):
**Became the first player in modern Major League history, dating back to 1913, to hit three homers and two doubles in one game against the Cincinnati Reds on June 27.
*Mark Teixeira ( NYY):
**Recorded his 400th career home run with a home run in the eighth inning on July 3 against the San Diego Padres. He became the 55th player, and fifth switch-hitter, to reach this mark.
*Brandon Crawford ( SF):
**Became the sixth player in Major League history to record seven hits in one game, during a 14-inning game against the Miami Marlins on August 8. The hits tied a National League record and also marked the first time in franchise history a Giant had seven hits in a game.
* David Dahl (COL):
**With a single in the first inning on August 11 against the Texas Rangers, Dahl extended his career-opening hitting streak to 17 games, which tied the Major League record that was set by Chuck Aleno in 1941.
*Gary Sanchez ( NYY):
**Became the fastest player in Major League history to reach 11 home runs, doing so in his 23rd career game on August 27 against the Baltimore Orioles.
**Became the first rookie in Major League history to win consecutive Player of the Week awards. He won for the weeks ending August 21 and August 28.
**With his 19th home run on September 21 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Sanchez became the quickest player in Major League history to hit 19 home runs, doing so in his 45th game. Wally Berger of the 1930 Boston Braves owned the previous record, having done so in his 51st game.
*Corey Seager ( LAD):
**Set the single-season franchise record for home runs by a shortstop with his 23rd home run on August 27 against the Chicago Cubs. He broke the record that was set in 1930 by Glenn Wright.
*Albert Pujols ( LAA):
**Recorded his 600th career double in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 16. He became the 16th player to reach this mark. Pujols also became the third player in Major League history to amass 575 home runs and 600 doubles in his career, joining Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.
**Hit his 30th home run of the season on September 17 against the Toronto Blue Jays. This was his 14th season of at least 30 homers making him the fourth player in Major League history to accomplish this feat. He joins Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez.

Pitchers

No-hitters

*Jake Arrieta ( CHC):
**Threw his second career no-hitter by defeating the Cincinnati Reds 16–0 on April 21. Arrieta walked four and struck out six as he became the fourth reigning Cy Young winner (joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Clayton Kershaw), to throw a no-hitter the following season. Arrieta threw 119 pitches, 71 of which were strikes. The no-hitter was historically notable for some other reasons:
***The Cubs' 16 runs were the most scored by the winning team in any no-hitter in baseball's modern era (post-1900). The only no-hitter in which more runs were scored was in 1884, when the Buffalo Bisons defeated the Detroit Wolverines 18–0 behind Pud Galvin's no-hitter.
***Arrieta became the first pitcher to go unbeaten in the regular season between no-hitters since Johnny Vander Meer, who threw consecutive no-hitters in 1938.

Other pitching accomplishments

*Jonathan Papelbon (WAS):
**Recorded his 350th career save by closing out a 4–3 win on April 4 against the Atlanta Braves. He becomes the 11th player to reach this mark.
*Brett Cecil ( TOR):
**Recorded his 38th consecutive game played without allowing an earned run on April 4 against the Tampa Bay Rays. This tied the major league record set by Craig Kimbrel. Cecil's streak came to an end the day later, when Logan Forsythe hit a home run off of him.
*John Lackey ( CHC):
**Became the 16th pitcher to beat all 30 Major League baseball teams by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals on April 18.
**Recorded his 2,000th career strikeout by striking out Jayson Werth of the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning on May 6. He became the 75th player to reach this mark.
*Félix Hernández (SEA):
**Became the Mariners all-time franchise leader in victories by recording his 146th career win against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 9. He broke the record that he held with Jamie Moyer.
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 15. He became the 255th player to reach this mark.
*Max Scherzer (WAS):
**Became the fourth pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning outing, joining Roger Clemens (who did it twice), Kerry Wood and Randy Johnson. Scherzer did this on May 11 against the Detroit Tigers.
*Justin Verlander ( DET):
**Recorded his 2,000th career strikeout by striking out Eddie Rosario of the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning on May 18. He became the 76th player to reach this mark.
* Francisco Rodriguez ( DET):
**Recorded his 400th career save by closing out a 3–1 win on May 24 against the Philadelphia Phillies. He becomes the sixth player to reach this mark.
*Zack Greinke ( ARI):
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 7. He became the 253rd player to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 2,000th career strikeout by striking out Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning on August 24. He became the 78th player to reach this mark.
*Cole Hamels (TEX):
**Recorded his 2,000th career strikeout by striking out Leonys Martin of the Seattle Mariners in the third inning on June 12. He became the 77th player to reach this mark.
*Jake Peavy ( SF):
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 12. He became the 254th player to reach this mark.
*Kenley Jansen ( LAD):
**Became the Dodgers all-time franchise leader in saves by recording his 162nd career save by closing out a 4–1 win against the Washington Nationals on June 20.
* Marco Estrada ( TOR):
**Pitched his 11th consecutive start allowing five hits or fewer, while going at least six innings on June 21. This set a new Major League record; Johnny Cueto, Jake Arrieta, and Johan Santana were the only other pitchers to accomplish ten such starts in a row.
*Danny Duffy ( KC):
**Set the franchise single-game record by striking out 16 Tampa Bay Rays on August 1. He broke the record that was held by Zack Greinke.
*Roberto Osuna ( TOR):
**Recorded his 47th career save, which set a new Major League record for a pitcher under the age of 22. Terry Forster previously held this record.
*Jon Gray (COL):
**Set the franchise record for most strikeouts in a game with 16 against the San Diego Padres on September 17. He broke the record that was set by Darryl Kile in 1998.
*Jered Weaver ( LAA):
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the Texas Rangers on September 21. He became the 256th player to reach this mark.
* Andrew Miller ( CLE):
**Set the Major League record for most strikeouts by a relief pitcher in a single postseason with 29 on October 29. He broke the record set by Francisco Rodríguez in 2002.

Miscellaneous

*The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 15–0 on Opening Day, making this the largest shutout victory on Opening Day in Major League history.
*The San Diego Padres became the first team in Major League history to be shut out in three consecutive games to open a season. San Diego lost to Los Angeles by the scores of 15–0, 3–0 and 7–0, respectively. Previously, the St. Louis Browns had had the worst start, going scoreless in their first 26 innings in 1943.
*The Cincinnati Reds' bullpen set a record by allowing a run in 23 consecutive games from April 10 to May 5. The previous record had been 20, set by the 2013 Colorado Rockies.
*Major League Baseball set a new league record with 6,726 strikeouts in the month of May.
*On June 25, the Chicago White Sox tied the Major League record for most home runs hit in a single game by a losing team. Chicago hit seven home runs, but still lost 10–8 against the Toronto Blue Jays. The only other team to accomplish this feat was the Detroit Tigers on May 28, 1995, and August 8, 2004.
*With Hyun Soo Kim's home run on June 30 in the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners, the Baltimore Orioles set the Major League record for most home runs hit by a team for the month of June. The Orioles 56 home runs broke the record of 55 home runs that was set by the 1996 Oakland Athletics.
*On July 19 against the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury reached base via catcher's interference for the ninth time of the season, setting a new Major League record for most in a season. He broke the record that was set in 1992 by Roberto Kelly.
*On August 11 the Milwaukee Brewers scored in every inning they batted against the Atlanta Braves. They became the 19th team since 1900 to accomplish this. Then on September 12, the Chicago White Sox became the 20th in an 11–4 win against the Cleveland Indians.
*On August 19 the Baltimore Orioles set a new Major League record by hitting four home runs before recording their first out, in the course of a five run first inning against the Houston Astros.
*The Twins Max Kepler's home run in the third inning on August 31 against the Cleveland Indians was the 1,034th homer in Major League baseball for August. That is the most home runs hit in the month of August in Major League history. It is also the third-most homers hit in any month in Major League history (1,069 in May 2000, 1,101 in June 2017).
*The Cincinnati Reds gave up their 242nd home run on September 19. That is the most home runs allowed in a season by a team in Major League history. The 1996 Detroit Tigers held the previous mark with 241 home runs allowed. Prior to this game, Cincinnati had been tied for the high among National League clubs with the Colorado Rockies, who allowed 239 home runs in 2001.
*In Game 3 of the 2016 ALDS on October 9, the Toronto Blue Jays