MLB Interleague Play: How Cross-League Games Work

Interleague play refers to regular-season games between American League and National League teams. What was once a mid-summer novelty is now woven throughout the entire 162-game schedule, meaning you will find cross-league matchups on GameCenter from Opening Day through the final week.

How interleague matchups are scheduled

Since the 2023 balanced schedule, every team plays every other team at least once per season. Each team faces its 14 same-league opponents in home-and-away series, and also plays series against all 15 teams from the other league. Natural rivals like the Yankees and Mets or Cubs and White Sox play each other more often.

The designated hitter

Since 2022, both leagues use the designated hitter. This means the DH bats in place of the pitcher regardless of which ballpark the game is played in. The old rule where National League parks required pitchers to bat in interleague games is gone.

Home-field advantage

Interleague series alternate between American League and National League parks. Over the course of a full schedule rotation, each team hosts and visits every opponent at least once. Because travel and time zones can affect performance, checking the schedule for upcoming interleague road trips is useful context.

Interleague records and standings

Interleague wins and losses count toward the overall standings, division races and wild-card positioning the same as any other game. There is no separate interleague standings table; every game matters equally for postseason qualification.