2011 Major League Baseball season
The 2011 Major League Baseball season began on Thursday, March 31, and ended on Wednesday, September 28. This marked the first time a season began on a Thursday since 1976, and the first time a regular season ended on a Wednesday since 1990. The 82nd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on July 12 with the National League defeating the American League for the second straight year, by a score of 5–1. As had been the case since 2003, the league winning that game had home field advantage in the World Series. Accordingly, the World Series began on October 19, and ended on October 28, with the St. Louis Cardinals winning in seven games over the Texas Rangers.
| 2011 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | March 31 – October 28, 2011 |
| Number of games | 162 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | Fox, TBS, ESPN, MLB Network |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Gerrit Cole |
| Picked by | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | NL: Ryan Braun (MIL) AL: Justin Verlander (DET) |
| Postseason | |
| AL champions | Texas Rangers |
| AL runners-up | Detroit Tigers |
| NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL runners-up | Milwaukee Brewers |
| World Series | |
| Champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Runners-up | Texas Rangers |
| World Series MVP | David Freese (STL) |
The season is notable for its wild card chase on the last day of the regular season.
Only two teams were unable to complete the entire 162-game regular season schedule, as the make-up game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 8 was cancelled due to rain and not made up, owing to scheduling constraints and the game being inconsequential to the playoffs.