2016 MLB season | |
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League | Major League Baseball |
Sport | Baseball |
Duration | April 3 – November 2, 2016 |
Number of games | 162 |
Number of teams | 30 |
TV partner(s) | Fox/FS1, TBS, ESPN, MLB Network |
Draft | |
Top draft pick | Mickey Moniak |
Picked by | Philadelphia Phillies |
Regular season | |
Season MVP | AL: Mike Trout (LAA) NL: Kris Bryant (CHC) |
Postseason | |
AL champions | Cleveland Indians |
AL runners-up | Toronto Blue Jays |
NL champions | Chicago Cubs |
NL runners-up | Los Angeles Dodgers |
World Series | |
Champions | Chicago Cubs |
Runners-up | Cleveland Indians |
World Series MVP | Ben Zobrist (CHC) |
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.
American League[edit]
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National League[edit]
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Main article: 2016 MLB Postseason |
Wild Card Game (ALWC, NLWC) | Division Series (ALDS, NLDS) | League Championship Series (ALCS, NLCS) | World Series | ||||||||||||||||
1 | Texas | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | Toronto | 1 | 4 | Toronto | 3 | ||||||||||||||
5 | Baltimore | 0 | American League | 4 | Toronto | 1 | |||||||||||||
2 | Cleveland | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Cleveland | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
3 | Boston | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
AL2 | Cleveland | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
NL1 | Chicago Cubs | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
2 | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
4 | NY Mets | 0 | 3 | LA Dodgers | 3 | ||||||||||||||
5 | San Francisco | 1 | National League | 3 | LA Dodgers | 2 | |||||||||||||
1 | Chicago Cubs | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
5 | San Francisco | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
1 | Chicago Cubs | 3 |
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.[1] 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.[2]
In February 2016, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association agreed to two rule changes.
Team | Former GM | New GM | Reason for leaving | Notes |
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Atlanta Braves | John Hart | John Coppolella | Promoted | On October 1, 2015, John Coppolella was promoted to General Manager, replacing John Hart, who will continue in his role as President of Baseball Operations.[4][5] |
Cincinnati Reds | Walt Jocketty | Dick Williams | Promoted | On November 4, 2015, Dick Williams was promoted to General Manager, replacing Walt Jocketty, who will stay on as director of operations for at least one more year.[6] |
Los Angeles Angels | Bill Stoneman | Billy Eppler | Interim | On October 4, 2015, the night after the regular season ended in a loss to the Rangers, the Angels hired Billy Eppler as their new permanent general manager, replacing Bill Stoneman, who was the interim GM after Jerry Dipoto who resigned earlier in the season.[7] |
Milwaukee Brewers | Doug Melvin | David Stearns | Resigned | On September 21, 2015, David Stearns replaced Doug Melvin who resigned from the club as general manager. He started his new job on October 5.[8] |
Philadelphia Phillies | Ruben Amaro Jr. | Matt Klentak | Fired | On October 24, 2015, Matt Klentak was hired as the new permanent general manager to replace interim GM Scott Proefrock, who was a temporary replacement for Ruben Amaro Jr., who was fired on September 10.[9] |
Oakland Athletics | Billy Beane | David Forst | Promoted | On October 5, 2015, General Manager Billy Beane was promoted to executive general manager. David Forst was promoted as the new general manager.[10] |
Seattle Mariners | Jeff Kingston | Jerry Dipoto | Interim | On September 28, 2015, Jerry Dipoto was named the new permanent general manager of the Mariners, replacing interim GM Jeff Kingston, who replaced Jack Zduriencik.[11] |
Toronto Blue Jays | Alex Anthopoulos | Ross Atkins | Resigned | Anthopoulos resigned on October 29, 2015, after six seasons as the general manager of the Blue Jays.[12] Ross Atkins was named new GM days later. |
Miami Marlins | Dan Jennings | Michael Hill | Fired | Jennings was fired on October 29, 2015, as general manager of the Marlins. Michael Hill was named as his replacement.[13] |
Date | Team | Former GM | New GM | Reason for leaving | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 18 | Minnesota Twins | Terry Ryan | Rob Antony | Fired | The Twins fired Terry Ryan and replaced him with Vice President and Assistant General Manager Rob Antony on an interim basis.[14] |
Team | Former manager | Interim manager | Reason for leaving | New manager | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington Nationals | Matt Williams | None | Fired | Dusty Baker | Matt Williams was fired on October 5, 2015, after two seasons with the team. He guided them to the division title in 2014 before losing to the San Francisco Giants. He finished with a 179–145 record.[15] On November 3, 2015, the Nationals announced that Dusty Baker will be their new manager for the 2016 season.[16] |
San Diego Padres | Bud Black | Pat Murphy | Fired | Andy Green | Pat Murphy was named interim manager on June 16, 2015, after Bud Black was fired. He finished the 2015 season with a record of 42–53.[17] On October 29, 2015, Andy Green was named the new permanent manager of the Padres.[18] |
Miami Marlins | Mike Redmond | Dan Jennings | Fired | Don Mattingly | Jennings made the unusual move from GM to manager when the Marlins fired Mike Redmond in May after a 16–22 start. The change failed to spark a turnaround, and the injury-riddled Marlins finished at 71–91, their sixth consecutive losing season. Jennings returned as GM[19] and was subsequently fired from that role.[13] On October 29, 2015, Don Mattingly was named the new manager.[20] |
Seattle Mariners | Lloyd McClendon | None | Fired | Scott Servais | McClendon compiled records of 87–75 in 2014 and 76–86 in 2015. On October 9, 2015, it was reported that new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto wished to hire a new manager, rather than retain McClendon from the previous GM, Jack Zduriencik.[21] On October 23, 2015, Scott Servais was the hired as the team's new manager.[22] |
Los Angeles Dodgers | Don Mattingly | None | Mutual Decision | Dave Roberts | Don Mattingly and the Dodgers parted ways on October 22 after five seasons together. The Dodgers had won their third straight NL West Championship, marking the first time in franchise history that they made the playoffs three years in a row. Their season ended when they lost to the New York Mets in the Division Series. Mattingly finished with a 446–363 record.[23] On November 23, 2015, Dave Roberts was named the Los Angeles Dodgers new manager.[24] |
Date | Team | Former manager | Interim manager | Reason for leaving | New manager | Notes |
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May 17 | Atlanta Braves | Fredi González | Brian Snitker | Fired | Brian Snitker | González was fired after starting the season with a 9–28 record, which was the worst record in baseball at the time. González in six-plus seasons finished with a 434–413 record with two playoff appearances.[25][26] After the season was over, Brian Snitker was named as the new manager on October 11, 2016, dropping the "interim" title.[27] |
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Fielding Bible Awards | ||||||||
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Position | Player | |||||||
Pitcher | Dallas Keuchel (HOU) | |||||||
Catcher | Buster Posey (SF) | |||||||
1st Base | Anthony Rizzo (CHC) | |||||||
2nd Base | Dustin Pedroia (BOS) | |||||||
3rd Base | Nolan Arenado (COL) | |||||||
Shortstop | Andrelton Simmons (LAA) | |||||||
Left Field | Starling Marte (PIT) | |||||||
Center Field | Kevin Pillar (TOR) | |||||||
Right Field | Mookie Betts (BOS) | |||||||
Multi-position | Javier Baez (CHC) |
Player of the Month[edit]
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Pitcher of the Month[edit]
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Rookie of the Month[edit]
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Team Name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per Game | Est. Payroll | %± |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers[101] | 91 | -1.1% | 3,703,312 | -1.6% | 45,720 | $231,342,096 | -12.7% |
St. Louis Cardinals[102] | 86 | -14.0% | 3,444,490 | -2.2% | 42,525 | $150,353,500 | 17.2% |
Toronto Blue Jays[103] | 89 | -4.3% | 3,392,099 | 21.4% | 41,878 | $182,690,767 | 54.9% |
San Francisco Giants[104] | 87 | 3.6% | 3,365,256 | -0.3% | 41,546 | $177,021,333 | -1.7% |
Chicago Cubs[105] | 103 | 6.2% | 3,232,420 | 10.7% | 39,906 | $176,097,333 | 52.7% |
New York Yankees[106] | 84 | -3.4% | 3,063,405 | -4.1% | 37,820 | $193,229,350 | -9.7% |
Los Angeles Angels[107] | 74 | -12.9% | 3,016,142 | 0.1% | 37,236 | $139,712,000 | 6.2% |
Boston Red Sox[108] | 93 | 19.2% | 2,955,434 | 2.6% | 36,487 | $218,682,750 | 18.9% |
New York Mets[109] | 87 | -3.3% | 2,789,602 | 8.6% | 34,440 | $155,221,282 | 57.0% |
Texas Rangers[110] | 95 | 8.0% | 2,710,402 | 8.8% | 33,462 | $212,117,760 | 18.6% |
Colorado Rockies[111] | 75 | 10.3% | 2,602,524 | 3.8% | 32,130 | $89,707,000 | -7.0% |
Kansas City Royals[112] | 81 | -14.7% | 2,557,712 | -5.6% | 31,577 | $125,132,675 | 2.9% |
Detroit Tigers[113] | 86 | 16.2% | 2,493,859 | -8.5% | 31,173 | $199,902,000 | 16.0% |
Washington Nationals[114] | 95 | 14.5% | 2,481,938 | -5.3% | 30,641 | $152,967,400 | -13.3% |
San Diego Padres[115] | 68 | -8.1% | 2,351,422 | -4.4% | 29,030 | $50,656,166 | -59.5% |
Milwaukee Brewers[116] | 73 | 7.4% | 2,314,614 | -9.0% | 28,575 | $52,077,500 | -26.5% |
Houston Astros[117] | 84 | -2.3% | 2,306,623 | 7.1% | 28,477 | $89,498,000 | -4.0% |
Seattle Mariners[118] | 86 | 13.2% | 2,267,928 | 3.4% | 27,999 | $137,169,100 | 5.0% |
Pittsburgh Pirates[119] | 78 | -20.4% | 2,249,201 | -10.0% | 27,768 | $81,187,933 | -22.3% |
Baltimore Orioles[120] | 89 | 9.9% | 2,172,344 | -4.8% | 26,819 | $153,744,833 | 36.1% |
Arizona Diamondbacks[121] | 69 | -12.7% | 2,036,216 | -2.1% | 25,138 | $78,399,500 | 21.7% |
Atlanta Braves[122] | 68 | 1.5% | 2,020,914 | 1.0% | 24,950 | $74,999,750 | -27.9% |
Minnesota Twins[123] | 59 | -28.9% | 1,963,912 | -11.5% | 24,246 | $93,333,700 | -13.4% |
Philadelphia Phillies[124] | 71 | 12.7% | 1,915,144 | 4.6% | 23,644 | $84,846,666 | -17.7% |
Cincinnati Reds[125] | 68 | 6.3% | 1,894,085 | -21.7% | 23,384 | $77,329,561 | -30.7% |
Chicago White Sox[126] | 78 | 2.6% | 1,746,293 | -0.5% | 21,559 | $113,416,000 | 0.5% |
Miami Marlins[127] | 79 | 11.3% | 1,712,417 | -2.3% | 21,405 | $72,472,000 | 1.7% |
Cleveland Indians[128] | 94 | 16.0% | 1,591,667 | 14.6% | 19,650 | $94,511,067 | 59.7% |
Oakland Athletics[124] | 69 | 1.5% | 1,521,506 | -14.0% | 18,784 | $54,969,067 | -14.1% |
Tampa Bay Rays[129] | 68 | -15.0% | 1,286,163 | -0.1% | 15,879 | $48,223,791 | -25.3% |
The Arizona Diamondbacks unveiled their new uniform concept for 2016 on December 3, 2015.
The San Diego Padres introduced new uniforms with a blue and yellow color scheme.
The silhouetted batter logo started to appear on the back belt loop of pants.[130]
The New Era flag logo began to appear on all authentic game-used caps, starting with the 2016 postseason.
The Milwaukee Brewers added a new alternate uniform with modern colors and a retro design.[131]
The Minnesota Twins added a red alternate to their uniform lineup. It features the TC logo on the chest. Although the Twins announced they would be worn on Fridays, they wore the alternate on April 25 and September 5 (Labor Day), both Monday; they wore it on other days as well.
The Philadelphia Phillies added a red alternate that they will wear on mid-week home matinee games.
The following teams wore commemorative patches for special occasions:
Team | Special occasion |
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All teams | Pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness (May 8, Mother's Day) |
"Play Ball" initiative in cooperation with USA Baseball (May 14–15) | |
Blue ribbons for prostate cancer awareness (June 19, Father's Day) | |
Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 2) | |
Arizona Diamondbacks | In memory of Joe Garagiola |
Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 17) | |
Atlanta Braves | In memory of former coach Bobby Dews (during spring training) |
Final season at Turner Field | |
Baltimore Orioles | 50th anniversary of 1966 World Series championship (July 8) |
Boston Red Sox | Rod Carew's Heart of 29 Day in cooperation with the American Heart Association (July 21) |
In honor of David Ortiz's retirement (September 30-October 2) | |
Chicago Cubs | 100th anniversary at Wrigley Field |
Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 5) | |
Chicago White Sox | In memory of Part-Owner Eddie Einhorn[132] |
Cincinnati Reds | In memory of former clubhouse manager Bernie Stowe |
Number 14 patch June 25–26 (Pete Rose number retirement) | |
Cleveland Indians | In memory of kidnapping victim Jacob Wetterling (September 9) |
Kansas City Royals | 2015 World Series Championship |
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | In memory of Dean Chance (August 20) |
50th anniversary at Angel Stadium (September 9-October 2) | |
Los Angeles Dodgers | Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 17) |
Miami Marlins | Number 16 patch in memory of José Fernández (from September 27 onwards) |
Milwaukee Brewers | Gold ribbons for childhood cancer awareness (September 5) |
Minnesota Twins | 25th anniversary of 1991 World Series championship |
Rod Carew's Heart of 29 Day in cooperation with the American Heart Association (July 21) | |
In memory of kidnapping victim Jacob Wetterling (September 9) | |
New York Mets | White ribbons on June 14 in honor of the Orlando nightclub shooting |
Mike Piazza patch on July 30 (#31 jersey retirement) | |
New York Yankees | Number 8 patch in memory of Yogi Berra |
Oakland Athletics | In memory of Dave Henderson (April 4) |
In memory of Tony Phillips (April 4) | |
Pittsburgh Pirates | White ribbons on June 14 in honor of the Orlando nightclub shooting |
Bicentennial of Pittsburgh's incorporation as a city (July 9) | |
San Diego Padres | 2016 All-Star Game |
Seattle Mariners | Ken Griffey Jr. jersey retirement (August 5–6) |
San Francisco Giants | "MONTE 20" patch in memory of Monte Irvin |
"DAVVY 12" patch in memory of Jim Davenport | |
"Orlando" patches in honor of the Orlando nightclub shooting (June 17) | |
Tampa Bay Rays | "Orlando" patches in honor of the Orlando nightclub shooting (June 17) |
Toronto Blue Jays | 40th season of the franchise |
The Pirates wore yellow 1979 throwbacks on home Sunday games, replacing the 1971 throwbacks.[133] The Pirates did wear their 1971 throwbacks on September 7, Roberto Clemente Day.
The Mets wore 1986 throwbacks on Sunday home games throughout the season to mark the 30th anniversary of their 1986 World Series title. They also wore them on May 27 and 28.[134]
The Braves and Royals wore Negro leagues throwbacks on May 15. The Braves wore the uniforms of the Atlanta Black Crackers, and the Royals wore the uniforms of the Kansas City Monarchs.[135]
The Phillies and Brewers wore 1976 throwbacks from June 3–5. The Phillies' throwbacks included the NL's 100th anniversary logo, while the Brewers didn't because they were an American League team at the time.[136]
The Indians and Royals wore 1976 throwbacks on June 4.[137]
The White Sox and Tigers wore Negro leagues throwbacks on June 4. The White Sox wore the uniforms of the Chicago American Giants, while the Tigers wore the uniforms of the Detroit Stars.[138]
On June 18, the Giants wore 1978 orange throwbacks, while the Rays wore retro-style "fauxback" jerseys.[139]
The Reds wore 1976 throwbacks on June 24 to mark the 40th anniversary of their 1976 World Series title.[140]
The Brewers and Nationals as well as the Braves and Mets wore Negro leagues throwbacks on June 25. The Brewers wore the uniforms of the Milwaukee Bears, while the Nationals honored the Homestead Grays.[141] The Braves wore the uniforms of the Atlanta Black Crackers, and the Mets wore the uniforms of the Brooklyn Royal Giants.
The Cardinals and Mariners wore 1984 throwbacks on June 25.
The Cubs and Reds wore 1916 throwbacks on July 6 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cubs playing at Wrigley Field.[142]
The Orioles wore 1966 throwbacks on July 8 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Orioles' 1966 World Series title.
The Angels wore 1970s throwbacks on July 15 and 16.
Eight teams wore throwbacks on July 20 as a part of an MLB "Turn Back the Clock" promotion:
The Cardinals wore 1956 throwbacks July 23. The Cardinals uniforms didn't have the two cardinals and bat, which were only worn that season. The Dodgers, their opponent, wore Brooklyn Dodgers caps, but wore their normal road uniform.
The Brewers and Pirates wore 1990s throwbacks on July 30.[143]
The Cubs and Athletics wore 1981 throwbacks on August 6.
The Rangers and Astros wore 1986 throwbacks on August 6 to mark the Astros' 30th anniversary of their winning the NL West title.
The Padres wore 1998 throwbacks on August 6.[144]
The Cardinals wore 1927 throwbacks on August 27 to mark the 90th anniversary of their 1926 World Series title.[145]
The Red Sox and Padres wore 1936 throwbacks on September 7 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Padres' debut in the Pacific Coast League.
The Reds and Pirates wore Negro leagues throwbacks on September 9. The Reds wore the uniforms of the Cincinnati Tigers, which were actually the Reds' road uniforms in the 1930s, while the Pirates wore the uniforms of the Homestead Grays (which the Nationals had worn on June 25 - the Grays called both Pittsburgh and Washington home).
The Diamondbacks will wear their 1998–2006 throwbacks on Thursday home games.[146]
The Royals wore uniforms with a golden "Royals" script and caps with a golden KC on April 3 and 5 to mark their winning the 2015 World Series. The Royals then announced they would wear the uniforms on Friday nights for the remainder of the season.
Players, coaches, and umpires at all games wore #42 on April 15, the 69th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut in the majors.
Umpires wore a "EA" patch on the left sleeves honoring umpire Emmett Ashford on April 11 for breaking the color barrier for umpires.
On April 18 (Patriots' Day), the Boston Red Sox wore home white jerseys with "BOSTON" written on the front to mark the three year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings. The uniform also sported the 2013 navy-blue circular patch with a white border on the left shoulder saying "B Strong" (with the red B in the classic font featured on the Red Sox's caps).
The Red Sox wore a patch on April 21 to mark Earth Day. The patch is of the two hanging socks surrounded by the recycling symbol. The Red Sox had worn that logo in 2008 and 2009.
The Reds and Giants wore Spanish-language "Los Rojos" and "Gigantes" uniforms respectively on May 5, Cinco de Mayo. The Reds wore the "Los Rojos" uniforms again on August 13 and September 16 (as part of a Fiesta Rojos promotion).
Teams wore special caps and uniforms with pink lettering on May 8, Mother's Day.
The Reds wore camouflage caps and uniforms on May 21, Armed Forces Day, June 12, August 19 and September 2. The team's uniforms had the "Reds" script wordmark on the front, rather than the "C" and the Reds and the player's number.
The Blue Jays wore a 1970s-era cap May 29 to mark the franchise's 40th season.
Teams wore camouflage caps and uniforms May 30, Memorial Day in the United States. The uniforms were woodland camouflage, licensed from the US Marine Corps. The Blue Jays wore camouflage of the Canadian forces' CADPAT design, even though Memorial Day is not officially a holiday in Toronto, the province of Ontario, or Canada on the last Monday in May.
The Rays wore a special cap on June 17 to mark the Orlando shooting five days earlier. They wore the cap of the Orlando Rays, the team's Southern League affiliate from 1999 to 2002. Both the Rays and Giants, their opponents, wore "ORLANDO" patches.
Teams wore uniforms with blue lettering on June 19, Father's Day.
The Royals and the Astros wore Spanish-language "Los Reales" and "Los Astros" uniforms on June 25.[147]
The Blue Jays wore a red uniform July 1, Canada Day. The Indians, their opponents, wore a Canadian flag on their sleeve. The Blue Jays wore their red uniforms again on August 28.
All teams wore red, white and blue-themed uniforms on July 4, Independence Day in the United States.
The Reds and Brewers wore Spanish-language "Los Rojos" and "Cerveceros" uniforms August 13.
The Mariners wore Spanish-language "Marineros" uniforms September 4.
All 30 teams wore caps with American flags September 11 to mark the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The Blue Jays wore a cap with American and Canadian flags.
The Reds wore green uniforms on September 18. The uniforms had the Reds script wordmark on the front, instead of the C and the player's number. The uniforms have a shamrock on their right sleeves.
The Astros wore orange Spanish-language "Los Astros" uniforms September 25.
The Marlins all wore uniforms with José Fernández's name and number 16 on September 26 to honor him. Fernández died the previous day.
This was the Atlanta Braves' final season at Turner Field, where the team played its final regular season game against the Detroit Tigers on October 2, 2016. From the 2017 Major League Baseball season onward, the Braves will play home games at SunTrust Park in Cobb County, Georgia.
The Toronto Blue Jays had a full dirt infield installed in Rogers Centre after using sliding pits throughout their history there as well as Exhibition Stadium.[148]
This was the third year of the current eight-year deals with Fox Sports, ESPN and TBS. Fox aired eight weeks of baseball on Saturday night leading up to the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which also aired on Fox. Fox then televised Saturday afternoon games for the last four weeks of the regular season. Fox Sports 1 televised games on Tuesday nights and Saturdays, both during the afternoon and night. ESPN televised games on its flagship telecast, Sunday Night Baseball, 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 will be exclusive; all other national telecasts will be subject to local blackout.
TBS will televise the American League Wild Card Game, Division Series, and Championship Series. ESPN will televise the National League Wild Card Game, Fox Sports 1 and MLB Network will televise the National League Division Series, and Fox Sports 1 will televise the National League Championship Series. The World Series will air exclusively on Fox for the 17th consecutive year.
On April 14, 2016, it was announced that 25 MLB Network Showcase games would be broadcast in 4K ultra-high definition exclusively on DirecTV in the 2016 season (subject to local blackout restrictions), beginning April 15.[149]
On October 5, 2015, Toronto Blue Jays owner Rogers Communications announced that all Blue Jays home games on Sportsnet during the 2016 season would be broadcast in 4K.[150]
In November 2015, after negotiations surrounding revenue sharing and infrastructural mandates (including a proposed requirement that the games only be available through the league's existing apps), Fox Sports Networks reached a three-year deal with Major League Baseball to allow in-market, authenticated online streaming for eligible pay TV subscribers via Fox Sports Go, of regional telecasts for the sixteen teams it holds rights to, beginning in the 2016 season.[151][152][153]
ESPN Radio aired its 19th season of national coverage, including Sunday Night Games, Saturday games, Opening Day and holiday games, the All-Star Game, and Home Run Derby, and the entire postseason.
The Chicago White Sox moved from WSCR to Cumulus Media's WLS for the 2016 season. The Chicago Cubs concurrently moved to WSCR from its sister station WBBM, per an option in the team's contract with CBS Radio in the event WSCR lost the White Sox.[154][155][156]
The Philadelphia Phillies saw their broadcasts move from AM to FM, going from WPHT to WIP-FM (both also owned by CBS Radio).[157]
Club | Total attendance | Home average |
---|---|---|
Los Angeles Dodgers | 3,703,312 | 45,720 |
St. Louis Cardinals | 3,444,490 | 42,525 |
Toronto Blue Jays | 3,392,099 | 41,878 |
San Francisco Giants | 3,365,256 | 41,546 |
Chicago Cubs | 3,232,420 | 39,906 |
New York Yankees | 3,063,405 | 37,820 |
Los Angeles Angels | 3,016,142 | 37,236 |
Boston Red Sox | 2,955,434 | 36,487 |
New York Mets | 2,789,602 | 34,440 |
Texas Rangers | 2,710,402 | 33,462 |
Colorado Rockies | 2,602,524 | 32,130 |
Kansas City Royals | 2,557,712 | 31,577 |
Detroit Tigers | 2,493,859 | 31,173 |
Washington Nationals | 2,481,938 | 30,641 |
San Diego Padres | 2,351,422 | 29,030 |
Milwaukee Brewers | 2,314,614 | 28,575 |
Houston Astros | 2,306,623 | 28,477 |
Seattle Mariners | 2,267,928 | 27,999 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | 2,249,201 | 27,768 |
Baltimore Orioles | 2,172,344 | 26,819 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | 2,036,216 | 25,138 |
Atlanta Braves | 2,020,914 | 24,950 |
Minnesota Twins | 1,963,912 | 24,246 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 1,915,144 | 23,644 |
Cincinnati Reds | 1,894,085 | 23,384 |
Chicago White Sox | 1,746,293 | 21,559 |
Miami Marlins | 1,712,417 | 21,405 |
Cleveland Indians | 1,591,667 | 19,650 |
Oakland Athletics | 1,521,506 | 18,784 |
Tampa Bay Rays | 1,286,163 | 15,879 |