Length of Early MLB Seasons:
Games Scheduled

See also Games Scheduled relative to benchmark 140 (70 games = 50, 126 games = 90, etc).

Games is a rough measure of major-league playing opportunity in each year beginning 1865.
5yr-Avg and 15yr-Avg are forward-looking averages whose timespans roughly fit for the peak seasons and the regular careers of many players. For example, "5yr-Avg" for 1893 is the average of 1893-97.

More notes appear below.

Examples:

1875: 71 games played by the NA team that ranked 4th in games played.

1886: 126 games scheduled for each NL team (140 for each AA team).

5 years beginning 1893 (roughly, the batting peak of George Davis): average 132.0 MLB games scheduled.

15 years beginning 1866 (roughly, the major career of Lip Pike): average 41.1 MLB games played.

                              5-year  15-year
        League  Year  Games   Average Average   League  Games  5yr-Avg  15yr-Avg

        none    1865      0       0.0    35.5   NA seasons and 5yr-avgs for
        none    1866      0       0.0    41.1   the annual leader in Games
        none    1867      0       5.8    46.7             0       6.6 
        none    1868      0      15.2    52.3             0      18.2
        none    1869      0      25.8    58.8             0      30.2
        none    1870      0      37.4    66.3             0      44.4
        NA(4th) 1871     29      51.6    73.7   NA(1st)  33      61.6
        NA(4th) 1872     47      59.8    80.2   NA(1st)  58      69.0
        NA(4th) 1873     53      62.4    85.5   NA(1st)  60      69.4
        NA(4th) 1874     58      63.8    91.3   NA(1st)  71      69.4
        NA(4th) 1875     71      69.0    96.7   NA(1st)  86      72.0
        NL      1876     70      71.6   101.3
        NL      1877     60      74.4   106.0   AA seasons and avgs (see below)
        NL      1878     60      79.2   112.3                    78.4    113.7
        NL      1879     84      86.8   117.1                    86.0    118.5
        NL      1880     84      92.4   120.3                    91.2    121.7
        NL      1881     84      98.0   123.5                    96.8    124.9
        NL      1882     84     106.4   126.7     AA     80     108.0    128.1
        NL      1883     98     114.8   129.9     AA     98     120.0    131.6
        NL, UA  1884    112     123.2   133.6     AA    110     128.4    135.3
        NL      1885    112     128.8   136.4     AA    112     134.4    138.3
        NL      1886    126     134.4   138.3     AA    140     140.0    140.1
        NL      1887    126     137.2   139.2     AA    140     140.0    140.1
        NL      1888    140     142.8   140.1     AA    140     142.8    140.1  
        NL      1889    140     141.2   140.1     AA    140     141.2    140.1  
        NL, PL  1890    140     139.6   141.1     AA    140     139.6    141.1  
        NL      1891    140     138.0   142.0     AA    140     138.0    142.0  
        NL      1892    154     136.4   142.9                                      
        NL      1893    132     132.0   142.9   American Association seasons and           
        NL      1894    132     136.4   144.4   5,15yr-avgs including AA seasons        
        NL      1895    132     140.8   145.9   (bold marks differences from NL)
        NL      1896    132     142.4   147.3   (green marks large differences)
        NL      1897    132     144.0   148.8
        NL      1898    154     145.6   150.3
        NL      1899    154     142.8   150.3

        League  Year  Games   5yr-Avg  15yr-Avg

        NL      1900    140     142.8   150.3
        NL, AL  1901    140     145.6   151.2
        NL, AL  1902    140     148.4   152.1
        NL, AL  1903    140     151.2   153.1
        NL, AL  1904    154     154.0   152.1
        NL, AL  1905    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1906    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1907    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1908    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1909    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1910    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1911    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1912    154     154.0   151.2
        NL, AL  1913    154     154.0   151.2
        N/A/FL  1914    154     148.4   151.2
        N/A/FL  1915    154     145.6   151.2
        NL, AL  1916    154     145.6   151.2
        NL, AL  1917    154     145.6   151.2
        NL, AL  1918    126     145.6   151.2
        NL, AL  1919    140     151.2   153.1
        NL, AL  1920s   154     154.0   154.0   (averages stable after 1920)

        League  Year  Games   5yr-Avg  15yr-Avg

LEAGUE
The Unions, Players, Federals, and the American League scheduled the same number of games as the National League. The American Association scheduled a slightly different number in 1882 and 1884 and scheduled 14 more games (140 vs 126) in 1886 and 1887. Add about 6 games to 5-yr averages and about 2 games to 15-yr averages that include both seasons, AA1886-87. (A subtable at right gives precise averages that include all AA seasons, looking forward from each year 1878-1891.)

GAMES
The length of the official schedule in games (1877-1917), or another rough indicator of full-season playing opportunity. For 1871-75, the rough indicator is the number of championship games played by the NA team with the fourth-highest number, "NA(4th)". (A subtable at right gives an alternative, using the NA team with highest number of games played, "NA(1st)".) For 1876, it is the target number of decisions. For 1918, it is the median number of games played. "Games" is only a rough measure of annual MLB playing opportunity; for some purposes, it is worthwhile to use the number of games played by a particular team.

5YR-AVG
The average number of games in five seasons *beginning* with the given year. (A subtable at right gives an alternative, using all pertinent AA seasons.)

15YR-AVG
The average number of games in fifteen season *beginning* with the given year. (A subtable at right gives an alternative, beginning in 1878, using all pertinent AA seasons in place of NL seasons.)

APPLICATION (advanced)
The {League, Year, Games} data can be used in a spreadsheet or database to adjust a table of annual player statistics for the length of each season, for raw stats such as Plate Appearances and Runs Scored or for summary statistics such as TPR, TPI and Win Shares.

Length of Early MLB Seasons: Games Scheduled

Length of Early MLB Seasons:
Games Scheduled