Expert: Geoff - 9/9/2007

Question
How are MLB schedules figured out?  Specifically, how many division games for a team? How many league games for a team? and How many interleague games for a team per year?

Answer
Hi Bob,

Thanks for writing.

Obviously, there is no simple answer to your question because making Major League Baseball's annual schedule is incredibly complex.  

Here's a link to an article about it:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060404&content_id=1383448&vkey=news_ml...

Considering that each league has a different number of teams (14 in the AL and 16 in the NL), not every team plays the same number of interleague games.  In general, AL teams play 18 games against the NL, while NL teams plays 15 or 18 games against the AL.

Considering that divisions can have 4, 5 or 6 teams in them not everyone will have the same number of interdivision games.  In general teams play other teams in their Division 18 or 19 times a season.  Teams play teams in other Divisions within their league 6 to 10 times.

Basically, no two teams have the same schedule.  The schedule makers try to be as fair/ even as possible but pretty much everybody just has to accept what they get.

Here's a link to a grid for the 2006 season of who played who how many times.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/standings/grid?season=2006

Best Wishes,

Geoff