The 2018 Major League Baseball season began on March 29. The regular season ended on October 1, extended a day for
tiebreaker games to decide the winners of the
National League Central
The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National Le ...
and
National League West
The National League West is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created for the 1969 season when the National League (baseball), National League (NL) expanded to 12 teams by adding the San Diego Padres and the Montr ...
. The postseason began on October 2. The
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
began on October 23, and ended on October 28 with the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
defeating the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in five games to win their ninth World Series championship.
The
89th Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 17 at
Nationals Park
Nationals Park is a baseball stadium along the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.), Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Washington Nationals. Since its completion in 2008, it wa ...
, the home of the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. The American League won, 8–6, in 10 innings.
This was also the last season for August trade waivers.
Schedule
As has been the case since 2013, all teams played their four division opponents 19 times each for a total of 76 games. They played six or seven games against each of the other ten same-league opponents for a total of 66 games, and 20
interleague games. The primary interleague match-ups were
AL East vs
NL East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title.
After having internal, informal divisions for ...
,
AL Central vs
NL Central, and
AL West vs
NL West. Since "
natural rivalry" matchups were part of the three-year divisional rotation, the schedule format for interleague games was different from previous years. The 20 interleague games each team played two three-game series (one home, one away) against its natural rival (total of six games), two two-game series (one home, one away) against each team for two other opponents (total of eight games), and a single three-game series against each team for the last two (one home, one away; total of six games).
Under the new collective bargaining agreement reached in December 2016, the regular season was extended to 187 days in order to add four additional off-days for all teams. All teams were scheduled to play Opening Day, March 29—the earliest domestic start of a regular season in league history until the
2019 season. The Sunday night game before the All-Star Game was replaced by a single, nationally televised game on the Thursday after the All-Star Game (which for 2018, was played between the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
and
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
), before all other teams returned from break the next day.
The
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
and the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
played a two-game series at
Hiram Bithorn Stadium in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...
, on April 17 and 18, while the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
and
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
played a three-game series at
Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey in
Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
, Mexico, from May 4 to 6. The
2018 MLB Little League Classic at
BB&T Ballpark in
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 27,754. It is the principal city of the Williamsport Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populati ...
, coinciding with the
Little League World Series
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
, returned to the schedule. It was played between the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
and the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
on August 19.
Rule changes
Beginning in the 2018 season, MLB implemented new
pace of play rules, which include limiting the number of mound visits for each team to six per nine innings. Teams will receive an additional visit for every extra inning played.
Standings
American League
National League
Postseason
Bracket
Managerial changes
General managers
Offseason
In-season
Field managers
Offseason
In-season
League leaders
American League
National League
Milestones
Batters
*
Matt Davidson (
CWS):
**Became the fourth player in the live-ball era (since 1920) to hit three home runs on opening day joining
Dmitri Young (2005),
Tuffy Rhodes
Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes (born August 21, 1968) is a retired American professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and thirteen years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Rhodes is the all-t ...
(1994), and
George Bell (1988). Davidson accomplished this feat on March 29 against the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
.
*
George Springer (
HOU):
**With his Opening Day lead-off home run on March 29 against the
Texas Rangers, Springer became the first player in Major League history to lead off back-to-back seasons with a home run.
*
Joe Panik (
SF):
**Became the first player in Major League history to hit a home run in consecutive 1–0 victories by his team on March 30.
**Became the first player in Major League history to score his team's first three runs in a season off solo home runs. This was during the team's home opener on April 3.
*
Adrián Beltré (
TEX
Tex, TeX, TEX, may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname
* Tex Earnhardt (1930–2020), U.S. businessman
* Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer ...
):
**With a second-inning double on April 5 against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
, Beltré became the all-time leader in hits by a player from Latin America. Beltré, from the Dominican Republic, passed
Rod Carew of Panama with the 3,054th hit in his career.
**With a fourth-inning double on June 13 against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, Beltré became the all-time leader in hits by a non-U.S. native, passing
Ichiro Suzuki.
**Recorded his 1,500th run scored in the sixth inning on July 30 against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
. He became the 73rd player to reach this mark.
*
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Regarded as one of the greatest contact h ...
(
MIN):
**Recorded his 2,000th career hit with a single in the seventh inning against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
on April 12. He became the 287th player to reach this mark.
*
Miguel Cabrera
José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed Miggy, is a Venezuelan former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins a ...
(
DET):
**Recorded his 550th career double in the seventh inning against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
on April 19. He became the 30th player to reach this mark.
*
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right fielder, right ...
(
MIL):
**Recorded his 1,000th career RBI with a pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning against the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
on April 19. He became the 285th player to reach this mark.
*
Rajai Davis (
CLE):
**Recorded his 400th career stolen base by stealing second base in the third inning against the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
on May 3. He became the 75th player to reach this mark.
*
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (, ; born December 11, 1985) is a Dominicans, Dominican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former first baseman and designated hitter who is the manager of the Leones del Escogido of the Domin ...
(
LAA):
**Recorded his
3,000th career hit with a single in the fifth inning against the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
on May 4. He became the 32nd player to reach this mark. Pujols also becomes the fourth player in Major League history to collect 3,000 hits and hit 600 home runs in his career, joining
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
,
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
and
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop, third baseman and designated hitter and current businessman. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (ML ...
.
*
Gleyber Torres (
NYY):
**On May 25 Torres became the youngest player in American League history with home runs in four consecutive games. He homered against the
Texas Rangers in back-to-back games as well as the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
.
*
Shin-Soo Choo (
TEX
Tex, TeX, TEX, may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname
* Tex Earnhardt (1930–2020), U.S. businessman
* Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer ...
):
**Became the all-time leader in Major League history for most home runs hit by a player from Asia by hitting his 176th career home run in the 10th inning against the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
on May 26. He passed
Hideki Matsui
, nicknamed "Godzilla", is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, and in Nipp ...
for the record.
*
Wil Myers (
SD):
**Became the first player in Major League history to hit three home runs in a game that was lost by double-digits. The team lost 20–5 against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
on July 7.
*
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (
TOR
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Toronto, Canada
** Toronto Raptors
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor ...
):
**Became the first rookie of the
live-ball era
The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball since 1920. It contrasts with the pre-1920 period known as the " dead-ball era". The name "live-ball era" comes from the dramatic rise in offensive ...
to have 11 consecutive multi-hit games, by collecting three hits against the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
on July 29. The last Major League rookie to accomplish such a feat was
Shoeless Joe Jackson
Joseph Jefferson Jackson (July 16, 1887 – December 5, 1951), nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American professional baseball outfielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the early 20th century. His .356 career batting average ...
in 1911.
*
Mike Trout
Michael Nelson Trout (born August 7, 1991) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). Trout is an 11-time Major League Baseball All-Star Game, All-Star, three-time American League (A ...
(
LAA):
**With his 30th home run of the season on July 31 against the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
, Trout became the second player in Major League history (the other being
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays Jr. (May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024), nicknamed "the Say Hey Kid", was an American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of ...
) to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases in three seasons before their age-26 campaigns.
*
José Reyes (
NYM):
**Became the second player in Major League history to give up multiple home runs as a pitcher in one game (on July 31) and hit multiple home runs the following game (on August 1). Both games were against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. The only other player to accomplish this was
Cap Anson
Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain"), "Pop", and "Baby" (early in his career) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association ...
from the Chicago White Stockings who gave up two home runs on August 5, 1884, and hit three home runs the following game on August 6. Both games were against the Cleveland Blues.
*
Ronald Acuña Jr./
Ozzie Albies
Ozhaino Jurdy Jiandro "Ozzie" Albies (born January 7, 1997) is a Curaçaoan professional baseball second baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). Albies signed with the Braves organization in 2013 and made his MLB debut wit ...
(
ATL):
**With his 20th home run on the season by Acuna on August 22 against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, Acuna and Albies became the first teammates under the age of 22 in Major League history to hit 20+ home runs in the same season.
*
Christian Yelich (
MIL):
**With a 6-for-6 day and
hitting for the cycle
In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hit (baseball), hits a single (baseball), single, a double (baseball), double, a triple (baseball), triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that ...
on August 29 against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, Yelich became the fourth player in Major League history to record six hits while also hitting for the cycle. He is the first to accomplish the feat since
Ian Kinsler in 2009.
**With his cycle on September 17, Yelich became the first player in Major League history to have multiple cycles against the same team in the same season.
*
Rowdy Tellez (
TOR
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Toronto, Canada
** Toronto Raptors
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor ...
):
**Became the first player in Major League history (in the live-ball era) to record extra-base hits in each of his first three plate appearances. Tellez recorded pinch-hit double during his debut against the
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. They are one of two major ...
on September 5. On September 6, Tellez doubled in the second and fourth innings against the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
. Tellez flied out in his next at bat.
*
Juan Soto (
WSH):
**With his multi-homer game against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
on September 11, Soto became the first teenager in Major League history to have three multi-homer games in a season.
*
Trevor Story (
COL):
**With his first-inning double on September 11 against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
, Story became the first shortstop in National League history to amass 30+ home runs, 40+ doubles and drive in more than 100 runs in a season.
*
Brock Holt (
BOS):
**Became the first player in Major League history to hit for the cycle in a postseason game, doing so in a 16–1 rout in
Game 3 of the 2018 American League Division Series on October 8 against the New York Yankees.
Pitchers
No-hitters
*
Sean Manaea (
OAK
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
):
**Threw his first career no-hitter by defeating the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
3–0 on April 21, at the
Oakland Coliseum
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, often shortened to the Oakland Coliseum, is a multi-purpose stadium in Oakland, California, United States. It serves as part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, located next to Oakland Arena. In 2 ...
. Manaea struck out ten batters, walked two and threw one wild pitch, throwing 75 of his 108 pitches for strikes. The game included two controversial out calls: in the fifth inning, a batter reached base on an error that Manaea reportedly assumed was ruled a hit; in the sixth inning,
Andrew Benintendi was initially ruled safe on an infield single, but after some discussion by the umpiring crew, he was called out for having left the baseline on the play. Benintendi later called this a "missed call" and insinuated that the umpires were biased in favor of Manaea.
*
Walker Buehler/
Tony Cingrani/
Yimi García/
Adam Liberatore (
LAD):
**Threw the first combined no-hitter in franchise history by defeating the
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
4–0 on May 4, during a series played at the
Estadio de Béisbol in
Monterrey
Monterrey (, , abbreviated as MtY) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is the ninth-largest city and the second largest metropolitan area, after Greater Mexico City. Located at the foothills of th ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Buehler struck out eight and walked three over six innings, throwing 59 of his 93 pitches for strikes. Cingrani struck out one and walked two over one inning, throwing 13 of 24 pitches for strikes. García struck out two and walked none over one inning, throwing 11 of 14 pitches for strikes. Liberatore also did not walk a batter, striking out two and throwing 10 of 15 pitches for strikes. This was the 12th combined no-hitter in Major League history and the 23rd no-hitter in franchise history.
*
James Paxton (
SEA
A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
):
**Threw his first career no-hitter, and the sixth in franchise history, by defeating the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
5–0 on May 8, at
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it is home to t ...
. Paxton struck out seven and walked three, throwing 64 of his 99 pitches for strikes. Paxton became the second Canadian-born player to throw a no-hitter, joining
Dick Fowler of the 1945
Philadelphia Athletics
The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, they became the Oakland ...
. As the game was played in Toronto, this made Canada the third country in which an MLB no-hitter was thrown in 2018, the other two being the US and
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
.
Other pitching accomplishments
*
Max Scherzer
Maxwell Martin Scherzer (born July 27, 1984), nicknamed "Mad Max", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tige ...
(
WSH):
**Became the second pitcher in the live-ball era (since 1920) to pitch a shutout, strike out at least 10 batters and steal a base in the same game by accomplishing this feat on April 9 against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
. He joins
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr. (born January 31, 1947), nicknamed "the Ryan Express", is an American former professional baseball pitcher and sports executive. Over a record 27-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), Ryan pitched for the New Yo ...
who did this against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
on May 16, 1984.
**Became the first pitcher in Major League history to finish with no more than 6 innings and strike out 15 batters in a 5–4 win against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
on May 6. He did not factor into the decision.
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
on May 30. He became the 259th player to reach this mark.
**With his first-inning strikeout of
Matt Carpenter of the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
on September 3, Scherzer recorded his fifth consecutive season of at least 250 strikeouts. He becomes the second pitcher in Major League history to accomplish this feat. He joins
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed, "the Big Unit," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizo ...
who accomplished this in six consecutive seasons from 1997 to 2002.
**With his seventh-inning strikeout of
Austin Dean of the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
on September 25, Scherzer reached his 300th strikeout of the season. He becomes the 17th pitcher since 1900 to record 300 strikeouts in a season.
*
Roberto Osuna (
HOU)/
(TOR
Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to:
Places
* Toronto, Canada
** Toronto Raptors
* Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain
* Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city
* Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano
* Tor Bay, Devon, England
* Tor ...
):
**On April 10, at the age of 23 years and 62 days, Osuna became the youngest pitcher in Major League history to record his 100th career save. Osuna was over a year younger than the previous record holder
Francisco Rodríguez, who had accomplished the feat at the age of 24 years and 246 days.
*
Josh Hader
Joshua Ronald Hader (born April 7, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. Hader is a five-time Ma ...
(
MIL):
**Became the first pitcher in Major League history to strike out eight batters in an outing of less than three innings. Hader struck out eight
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
on April 30 in 2 innings.
*
Craig Kimbrel (
BOS):
**Recorded his 300th career save by closing out a 6–5 win over the
Texas Rangers on May 5. He is the 29th player, and the fastest, to reach this mark.
*
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander ( ; born February 20, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New York M ...
(
HOU):
**Recorded his 2,500th career strikeout by fanning
Shohei Ohtani
is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Shotime", he has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels and in Nippon Professional Basebal ...
of the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
on May 16. He became the 33rd player to reach this mark.
**Recorded his 200th career victory by defeating the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
on August 19. He became the 117th player to reach this mark.
*
Cole Hamels (
CHC)/
(TEX
Tex, TeX, TEX, may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname
* Tex Earnhardt (1930–2020), U.S. businessman
* Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer ...
):
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
on May 22. He became the 258th player to reach this mark
*
Bartolo Colón (
TEX
Tex, TeX, TEX, may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tex (nickname), a list of people and fictional characters with the nickname
* Tex Earnhardt (1930–2020), U.S. businessman
* Joe Tex (1933–1982), stage name of American soul singer ...
):
**Recorded his 2,500th career strikeout by getting
Max Muncy
Maxwell Steven Muncy (born August 25, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baylor Bears baseball, Baylor Bears. He was selected by the ...
of the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on June 12. He became the 34th player to reach this mark.
**With his victory on June 18 against the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
, Colón became the winningest pitcher in Major League history from the Dominican Republic. His 244th career win passed Hall of Famer
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937), nicknamed "the Dominican Dandy", is a Dominican former right-handed pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1975, mostly with the San Francisco Giants. Known ...
.
**With his victory on August 7 against the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
, Colón also became the winningest Latin American-born pitcher in Major League history, passing Nicaragua's
Dennis Martínez
José Dennis Martínez Ortiz (born May 14, 1955), nicknamed "El Presidente" (), is a Nicaraguan former professional baseball pitcher. Martínez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, Cleveland Indians, S ...
.
*
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Edward Kershaw (born March 19, 1988) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has spent his entire MLB career with the Dodgers s ...
(
LAD):
**Recorded his 150th career win with a victory against the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
on August 19. He became the 260th player to reach this mark.
*
Edwin Díaz (
SEA
A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
):
**Recorded his 50th save of the season by closing out a win against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
on August 25. With this save, he became the 16th player in Major League history, and the youngest to do so, to record 50 saves.
*
Jacob deGrom (
NYM):
**Against the
Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
on September 11, deGrom allowed two runs in seven innings of work. This was his 26th consecutive start of allowing three or fewer runs, setting a new Major League record. The old record was set by
Leslie "King" Cole in 1910.
**With his
quality start
In baseball, a quality start (QS) is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start was developed by sportswriter John Lowe in ...
—at least six innings pitched and three earned runs or fewer allowed—on September 21 against the
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, deGrom set the Major League record for most consecutive quality starts in history with his 23rd straight. This broke the record set by
Bob Gibson
Robert Gibson (November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competi ...
(1968) and
Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals from 1997 to 2012. A Cy Young Award wi ...
(2005).
*
German Marquez (
COL):
**Tied a modern Major League record (since 1900) by fanning the first eight
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
he faced on September 26. He tied a record that is shared by
Jim Deshaies and
Jacob deGrom.
Miscellaneous
*The
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
became the first National League team since the
1907 Cubs to start the season with nine consecutive series wins.
*For the first time in Major League history, there were more strikeouts than hits in a month. At the end of April, there were 7,335 strikeouts and 6,992 hits. This happened again two other times. In June, there were 6,776 strikeouts and 6,641 hits. In September, there were 7,074 strikeouts and 6,641 hits.
*
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
:
**broke the record for the fewest runs allowed since 1920 (live-ball era) in a 50-game span with 126 runs. The previous record was 128 set by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
in 1968.
**On August 29, the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
'
Tyler White
Brian Tyler White (born October 29, 1990) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and in the KBO League for the SK Wyverns.
Career
Af ...
hit the 81st
walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...
of the season, which set a Major League single-season record, breaking the previous record set in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
.
**Set an American League record for fewest runs allowed by a pitching staff in the Designated Hitter era with 534 runs allowed. The previous record was 551 runs allowed by the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
in 1974. The Astros also set a Major League record for strikeouts by a pitching staff with 1,687 total strikeouts on the 2018 season. The previous record was 1,614 strikeouts by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
in 2017.
*On August 16, the
Texas Rangers pulled off a 5–4
triple play
In baseball or softball, a triple play (denoted as TP in baseball statistics) is the act of making three out (baseball), outs during the same play. There have only been 739 triple plays in Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1876, an average of ju ...
in their 8–6 win over the
Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
. It was only the third 5–4 triple play in the expansion era (since 1961), with the most recent one having occurred in
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
. In addition, it was the first triple play since
1912
This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15.
In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...
in which the batter was not retired.
*
Francisco Arcia (
LAA):
**On September 20 against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
, Arcia became the first player in Major League history to catch, pitch, and hit a home run in the same game.
*For the first time in Major League history, there were more strikeouts than hits for the season. Hitters struck out 41,207 times and recorded 41,019 hits.
*The Yankees eclipsed the 1997 Mariners for the most home runs in a single season. They would finish the season with 267. The Yankees are also the first team in major league history to score at least 20 home runs in each of the nine batting order positions.
*On October 26 the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
and
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
squared off in what would become the longest
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
game in history, both by innings and time.
Game 3 ran 18 innings over 7 hours and 20 minutes. The Dodgers would emerge victorious 3–2, off an opposite field walk-off home run hit by
Max Muncy
Maxwell Steven Muncy (born August 25, 1990) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baylor Bears baseball, Baylor Bears. He was selected by the ...
. This would cut Boston's lead in the series to 2–1.
*When the Red Sox won the World Series on October 28, manager Alex Cora, Boston’s first nonwhite manager, became the first Puerto Rican manager in MLB history to win a World Series.
*Shohei Ohtani, the BBWAA Rookie of the Year winner, became the fourth player from Japan to win the award.
*For the first time in Major League history, there were no pitchers that achieve multiple complete-game shutouts in a single season. A total of 18 pitchers have a complete-game shutout this season, with each of them doing it only once throughout the season.
Awards and honors
Regular season
Other awards
*
''The Sporting News Player'' of the Year Award:
Mookie Betts
Markus Lynn "Mookie" Betts (born October 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder, shortstop, and second baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. ...
(
BOS)
*
Comeback Players of the Year:
David Price (
BOS, American);
Jonny Venters (
ATL, National)
*
Hank Aaron Award:
J.D. Martinez (
BOS, American);
Christian Yelich (
MIL, National)
*
Edgar Martínez Award (Best designated hitter):
Khris Davis (
OAK
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
)
*
Roberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) baseball positions, player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community#Psychology, community involvement and the individual's contribution to ...
(Humanitarian):
Yadier Molina
Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Professional Baseball League. He played his entir ...
(
STL)
*
Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award (Best AL reliever):
Edwin Díaz (
SEA
A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
)
*
Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award (Best NL reliever):
Josh Hader
Joshua Ronald Hader (born April 7, 1994) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres. Hader is a five-time Ma ...
(
MIL)
*
Warren Spahn Award (Best left-handed pitcher):
Blake Snell (
TB)
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
Pitcher of the Month
Rookie of the Month
Reliever of the Month
Home field attendance and payroll
Uniforms
Wholesale changes
The Detroit Tigers modified the
Olde English 'D' on the home jersey to match the 'D' on the cap. Other than a one-season hiatus of 'D' usage in 1960, this is the first major change to the Tigers' home jersey since 1934.
The Cleveland Indians have confirmed this will be the final season using the
Chief Wahoo logo on its uniforms. It will be replaced at the start of the 2019 season. The team wore a Wahoo-less uniform through their September 6–9 series with the Blue Jays, as the team had been sued unsuccessfully by a group in
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
in October 2016 to prevent the team from donning the logo during Toronto home games through the 2016 ALCS.
Alternate changes
The Oakland Athletics added a kelly green alternate jersey to commemorate the franchise's 50th anniversary in Oakland. The uniforms are used during every Friday home game.
The Washington Nationals added a second navy blue jersey to commemorate the team's hosting of the 2018 All-Star Game. The uniform features the script "Nationals" in white with red trim and numerals in red with white trim.
Both the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates replaced their camouflage uniforms with new white alternate jerseys featuring olive and military green logos, letters and numbers.
Anniversaries and special events
The following teams will wear commemorative patches for special occasions:
Other uniforms
As is the custom for the reigning World Series champions, the Astros wore gold-lettered uniforms at their home opener April 2 and 3.
Players, managers and coaches wore No. 42 on April 15, the 71st anniversary of
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the Baseball color line, ...
's debut in the majors.
The Orioles wore special caps and green uniforms on April 22,
Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...
.
The Reds and Diamondbacks wore
Spanish language
Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...
"Los Rojos" and "Los D-backs" uniforms May 5,
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo (; ) is an annual celebration held on May 5 to celebrate Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza. Zaragoza died months after the battle from an illness, ho ...
. The Diamondbacks wore them again September 8. The Reds wore them again September 28.
The Royals wore an alternate uniform with a crown atop the R, and a cap with a crown instead of the "KC", on June 30 in Seattle.
The Blue Jays wore red uniforms on July 1,
Canada Day
Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...
. They wore a cap with a gold maple leaf, as well.
All US-based teams wore Stars and Stripes caps and uniforms from July 2–4, ending with
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
. Teams wore caps denoting what league they play for (there were nine interleague series during the time period).
For the second straight year, MLB sponsored
Players Weekend, an event for which all teams wore special uniforms with design cues reminiscent of typical
Little League uniforms. The event was held August 24 to 26, again coinciding with the final weekend of the
Little League World Series
The Little League World Series is an annual baseball tournament for children (primarily boys) aged 10 to 12 years old, held in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Originally called the National Little League Tournament, it was later renamed for th ...
.
The Royals wore Spanish-language "Los Reales" uniforms September 1.
The Orioles wore
Braille
Braille ( , ) is a Tactile alphabet, tactile writing system used by blindness, blind or visually impaired people. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone device ...
uniforms September 18 to mark the 40th anniversary of the
National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is an organization of blind people in the United States. It is the oldest and largest organization led by blind people in that country. Its national headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland.
Overview
An ...
's headquarters moving to Baltimore. They became the first pro sports team ever to wear such uniforms. The uniforms had the name "Orioles" in Braille, and the players' last names were in Braille.
Throwbacks
The Phillies will wear their 1980s powder blue uniforms for select Thursday home games.
The Athletics and White Sox wore
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
throwbacks April 17 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Athletics' first season in Oakland.
The Tigers and Royals wore
Negro leagues
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relativel ...
throwbacks May 6. The Tigers wore the uniforms of the
Detroit Stars, and the Royals wore the uniforms of the
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri, and owned by J. L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 193 ...
.
The Padres wore
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
throwbacks May 12 to mark the 20th anniversary of their 1998 NL title. They will wear them again at select Wednesday games.
The Royals wore
1969
1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
throwbacks May 19 to mark the franchise's 50th season. The uniforms also had the MLB 100th anniversary patch, which all teams wore that season.
The White Sox and Brewers wore 1980s throwbacks June 2 and 3.
The Marlins wore
1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
throwbacks June 8 to 10 to mark their 25th anniversary.
The Braves wore
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
throwbacks June 22 and 23 to celebrate
Hank Aaron
Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
Heritage Weekend.
The Mariners marked the 20th anniversary of their 1998 "Turn Ahead the Clock" promotion by wearing the uniforms from that game June 30 against Kansas City.
The Brewers and Pirates wore Negro league throwbacks July 13. The Brewers wore the uniforms of the
Milwaukee Bears, and the Pirates wore the uniforms of the
Pittsburgh Crawfords.
The Brewers wore Milwaukee Bears uniforms August 2. Their opponents, the Rockies, wore their regular uniforms.
The Mariners and Astros wore throwbacks on August 10; the Mariners wore their
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
throwbacks, and the Astros wore their "Tequila Sunrise" uniforms.
The Angels wore California Angels throwbacks from 1976 to 1985 on August 27.
The Rays wore their 1998 inaugural throwbacks on March 31 against the Boston Red Sox, on June 9 against the Seattle Mariners, and on June 23 against the New York Yankees, along with September 8 against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Tigers wore their
1968
Events January–February
* January 1968, January – The I'm Backing Britain, I'm Backing Britain campaign starts spontaneously.
* January 5 – Prague Spring: Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Cze ...
road uniforms September 8 at home to mark the 50th anniversary of their winning the
1968 World Series
The 1968 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1968 season. The 65th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National Lea ...
title.
Broadcast rights
Television
National
This was the fifth year of the current eight-year deals with
Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
,
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
and
TBS.
Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
aired eight weeks of baseball on Saturday Nights leading up to the
2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game which also aired on Fox. Fox also televised Saturday afternoon games for the last four weeks of the regular season.
FS1 televised games on Tuesday and on Saturdays both during the afternoon and night. ESPN televised games on its flagship telecast ''
Sunday Night Baseball
''Sunday Night Baseball'' is an exclusive weekly telecast of a Major League Baseball game that airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN during the regular season.
The games are preceded most weeks by the studio show '' Baseball Tonight: Sun ...
'' as well as Monday and Wednesday Nights. TBS televised Sunday afternoon games for the last 13 weeks of the regular season. Fox and ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecasts were exclusive; all other national telecasts were subject to local blackout.
TBS televised the
American League Wild Card Game,
Division Series
The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League.
1981 season
The first use of the term "Division Series ...
and televised the
Championship Series. ESPN televised the
National League Wild Card, along with the National League
West
West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
and
Central tie-breaker games. FS1 and
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications h ...
televised the
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
. Fox and FS1 televised the
National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two Natio ...
. The
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
aired exclusively on Fox for the 19th consecutive year.
Prior to the season, Major League Baseball reached an exclusive agreement with
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
to stream 25-games for free on
Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch (currently rebranding to Facebook Video) is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and it was available to all U.S. ...
.
Local
On September 6,
Fox Sports Detroit
FanDuel Sports Network Detroit is an American regional sports network owned by Main Street Sports Group (formerly Diamond Sports Group) and operated as an affiliate of FanDuel Sports Network. It provides coverage of local sports teams in the sta ...
suspended
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
play-by-play announcer
Mario Impemba and color commentator
Rod Allen for the remainder of the season after an alleged physical altercation that occurred on September 4, in which Allen reportedly placed Impemba in a choke hold at Chicago's
Guaranteed Rate Field after a game they called between the Tigers and the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, a claim Allen's agent has denied. Backup announcers
Matt Shepard and
Kirk Gibson replaced them for the rest of the season. It was later announced that Impemba and Allen's contracts were not renewed for future seasons, ending their 17 years together as broadcast partners.
Radio
Local
* The
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
returned to
Entercom
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corp., it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning over 220 radio stations across 47 media ...
's
WCCO/
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
after twelve years on
KSTP, followed by the Twins-owned FM station
KQGO; WCCO has been the
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
for the Twins' network for 46 of the team's 58 years of existence. Entercom also took over all existing play-by-play contracts from their newly acquired stations from
CBS Radio after the two companies merged their radio assets on November 17, 2017.
* The
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
took on a new flagship station in
Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting Company, LLC was an American media company which operated as a subsidiary of Tribune Media, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. The group owned and operated television station, television and radio stations thro ...
's
WGN/
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, after
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...
asked to void their agreement to carry the team's games on
WLS as part of its
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
filing, and Cumulus ending several high-profile talent and sports rights agreements due to their cost. The deal allows WGN to return to MLB play-by-play after a three-year hiatus after the end of their long association with the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
, who moved to
WBBM in the 2015 season, then
WSCR
WSCR (670 AM radio, AM) – branded 670 The Score – is a Commercial radio, commercial sports radio station, licensed to Chicago, Illinois, which serves the Chicago metropolitan area. Owned by Audacy, Inc., WSCR is a clear-channel station wit ...
in 2016. WGN had previously carried White Sox broadcasts from 1927 until 1943.
* The
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
obtained a new flagship station after Entercom moved the team's broadcasts from
KBZT
KBZT (94.9 FM, "Alt 94-9") is a commercial radio station licensed to San Diego, California. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station broadcasts an alternative rock format. Its studios are located in San Diego's Stonecrest area, and the transmitter ...
to
KEGY (both FM stations), which had flipped from a
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
format to a short-lived
hot talk
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...
format at the beginning of the season. After the team and fans reacted negatively to the schedule and personalities surrounding Padres games following a controversial social media post involving a never-launched morning show (to the point of consideration by the Padres to void the broadcast contract only three games into the season), Entercom switched KEGY within two weeks to a straight
sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
format and new calls in KWFN.
National
*
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio, which is alternatively branded platform-agnostically as ESPN Audio, is an American sports radio network and extension of the ESPN television network. It was launched on January 1, 1992, under the banner "SportsRadio ESPN". The netw ...
aired its 21st season of national coverage, including ''
Sunday Night Baseball
''Sunday Night Baseball'' is an exclusive weekly telecast of a Major League Baseball game that airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN during the regular season.
The games are preceded most weeks by the studio show '' Baseball Tonight: Sun ...
'', Saturday games,
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...
and holiday games, the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, and
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...
, and the entire
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason is the annual playoffs, playoff Tournament#Knockout tournaments, elimination tournament held to determine the champion of MLB in the United States and Canada. Since 2022, the postseason for each league ...
.
Digital
Nine regular season games were broadcast exclusively in the United States on
Facebook Watch
Facebook Watch (currently rebranding to Facebook Video) is a video on demand service operated by American company Meta Platforms (previously named Facebook, Inc.). The company announced the service in August 2017 and it was available to all U.S. ...
, beginning with the April 4 game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
Retirements
*
Kyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse (; born October 4, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, a ...
announced his retirement on May 10.
*
Kris Medlen announced his retirement on May 27.
*
Aaron Laffey announced his retirement on June 7 after allowing 14 runs (12 earned) in a minor league game.
*
Brayan Pena announced his retirement on June 18.
*
Jayson Werth announced his retirement on June 27.
*
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino (born November 30, 1980), nicknamed "the Flyin' Hawaiian", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodge ...
announced his retirement on July 2 and retired on August 3 after signing a 1-day contract with the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
.
*
Colby Rasmus announced his retirement on July 3.
*
Chase Utley announced on July 13 that he would retire at the end of the season.
*
Andre Ethier announced his retirement on July 25.
*
Johnny Giavotella
Johnny Arthur Giavotella (born July 10, 1987) is an American former professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, and Baltimore Orioles.
Early life
Giavotella was ...
announced his retirement on August 11.
*
Luke Hochevar announced his retirement on August 13.
*
Brandon McCarthy announced on August 14 that he would retire at the end of the season.
*
Victor Martinez announced on August 15 that he would retire at the end of the season.
*
Ryan Howard announced his retirement on September 4.
*
David Wright
David Allen Wright (born December 20, 1982) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 Major League Baseball dr ...
announced on September 13 that he would retire at the end of the season.
*
Brad Ziegler announced his retirement on October 10.
*
Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Regarded as one of the greatest contact h ...
announced his retirement on November 9.
*
Adrián Beltré announced his retirement on November 20.
*
Mike Napoli announced his retirement on December 8.
*
Steve Johnson announced his retirement on December 21.
*
Jaime García announced his retirement on January 9, 2019.
*
Shawn Tolleson announced his retirement on January 16, 2019.
*
Steve Delabar announced on February 4, 2019, that he is "ready to move on", though he hasn't filed the formal retirement paperwork at this time.
*
Doug Fister announced his retirement on February 13, 2019.
*
Rob Whalen announced his retirement on February 25, 2019.
*
Peter Moylan announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on February 27, 2019.
*
Julio Borbón announced his retirement on March 1, 2019.
*
Charlie Furbush announced his retirement on March 7, 2019.
*
Jon Moscot announced his retirement on March 7, 2019.
Retired numbers
*
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy Halladay III (May 14, 1977 – November 7, 2017) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc ...
had his No. 32 retired posthumously by the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
on March 29.
[Blue Jays retiring No. 32 for Roy Halladay](_blank)
''MLB.com.'' Published on February 12, 2018. Retrieved on February 12, 2018 It is the third number retired by the franchise.
*
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24, 1964) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bonds was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1986 to 1992 and the San Francisco Giants f ...
had his No. 25 retired by the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on August 11.
It is the 11th number retired by the franchise.
*
Jack Morris had his No. 47 retired by the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
on August 12.
[Tigers to retire Trammell's No. 3, Morris' No. 47](_blank)
''MLB.com.'' Published on December 17, 2017. Retrieved on January 25, 2018. It is the eighth number retired by the franchise.
*
Jim Thome
James Howard Thome (; ; born August 27, 1970) is an American former professional baseball first baseman, third baseman and designated hitter, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 22 seasons (1991–2012). A prolific power hitter, Thome ...
had his No. 25 retired by the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
on August 18.
This is the ninth number retired by the franchise.
*
Alan Trammell had his No. 3 retired by the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
on August 26.
This is the ninth number retired by the franchise.
See also
*
2018 in baseball
*
2018 Nippon Professional Baseball season
The 2018 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 69th season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – ...
References
External links
2018 Major League Baseball season schedule
{{MLB Postseason, state=collapsed
Major League Baseball seasons