Mlb Teams In Alphabetical Order: The Complete 30-team List

Finding a clean, error-free list of MLB teams in alphabetical order shouldn't require digging through cluttered standings or outdated franchise names. Whether you're building sports trivia, checking franchise locations, or settling a debate, having the complete roster at your fingertips saves time. Major League Baseball features thirty franchises spread across the American and National Leagues, and sorting them alphabetically can be done in two distinct ways: by geographic location or by team nickname.

Sorting by location places the city or state name first, which is how official directories usually organize franchises. Sorting by team moniker lists them strictly by their mascot or brand name. Both methods have distinct quirks, especially with unique franchise naming conventions like the Athletics dropping their geographic prefix. Below, you'll find both lists broken down clearly, along with division structures and common sorting traps to watch out for.

MLB teams in alphabetical order by location

When you sort Major League Baseball franchises by their home city or state name, you account for all thirty teams currently active in the league. This layout mirrors how fans look up ticketing information on the official MLB Team Directory.

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (Phoenix, Arizona)
2. Athletics (West Sacramento, California)
3. Atlanta Braves (Atlanta, Georgia)
4. Baltimore Orioles (Baltimore, Maryland)
5. Boston Red Sox (Boston, Massachusetts)
6. Chicago Cubs (Chicago, Illinois)
7. Chicago White Sox (Chicago, Illinois)
8. Cincinnati Reds (Cincinnati, Ohio)
9. Cleveland Guardians (Cleveland, Ohio)
10. Colorado Rockies (Denver, Colorado)
11. Detroit Tigers (Detroit, Michigan)
12. Houston Astros (Houston, Texas)
13. Kansas City Royals (Kansas City, Missouri)
14. Los Angeles Angels (Anaheim, California)
15. Los Angeles Dodgers (Los Angeles, California)
16. Miami Marlins (Miami, Florida)
17. Milwaukee Brewers (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
18. Minnesota Twins (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
19. New York Mets (Flushing, New York)
20. New York Yankees (Bronx, New York)
21. Philadelphia Phillies (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
22. Pittsburgh Pirates (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
23. San Diego Padres (San Diego, California)
24. San Francisco Giants (San Francisco, California)
25. Seattle Mariners (Seattle, Washington)
26. St. Louis Cardinals (St. Louis, Missouri)
27. Tampa Bay Rays (St. Petersburg, Florida)
28. Texas Rangers (Arlington, Texas)
29. Toronto Blue Jays (Toronto, Ontario)
30. Washington Nationals (Washington, D.C.)

MLB teams in alphabetical order by team name

If you strip away the home cities and sort purely by the actual franchise moniker, the order changes completely. People often forget how alphabetical sorting handles articles like "The" or how short names sit at the top. Here is how the thirty clubs line up by their core team names:

1. Angels (Los Angeles Angels)
2. Astros (Houston Astros)
3. Athletics (Athletics)
4. Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
5. Braves (Atlanta Braves)
6. Brewers (Milwaukee Brewers)
7. Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)
8. Cubs (Chicago Cubs)
9. Diamondbacks (Arizona Diamondbacks)
10. Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers)
11. Giants (San Francisco Giants)
12. Guardians (Cleveland Guardians)
13. Mariners (Seattle Mariners)
14. Marlins (Miami Marlins)
15. Mets (New York Mets)
16. Nationals (Washington Nationals)
17. Orioles (Baltimore Orioles)
18. Padres (San Diego Padres)
19. Phillies (Philadelphia Phillies)
20. Pirates (Pittsburgh Pirates)
21. Rangers (Texas Rangers)
22. Rays (Tampa Bay Rays)
23. Red Sox (Boston Red Sox)
24. Reds (Cincinnati Reds)
25. Rockies (Colorado Rockies)
26. Royals (Kansas City Royals)
27. Tigers (Detroit Tigers)
28. Twins (Minnesota Twins)
29. White Sox (Chicago White Sox)
30. Yankees (New York Yankees)

Understanding division breakdowns and league structures

Beyond simple alphabetical listings, Major League Baseball divides its thirty teams into two leagues—the American League and the National League—with three five-team divisions in each (East, Central, and West). Knowing these groupings helps when you're looking at broader sports platforms like Baseball Reference for historical data or player statistics.

• American League East: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays
• American League Central: Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins
• American League West: Athletics, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers
• National League East: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals
• National League Central: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals
• National League West: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants

Common sorting mistakes to avoid

Sorting baseball teams might seem straightforward, but a few recurring anomalies trip people up. Keeping these edge cases in mind ensures your custom lists or database entries remain accurate.

• The Athletics franchise name: The club formerly known as the Oakland Athletics officially dropped its geographic city identifier during transition phases, meaning they sort under "A" for Athletics rather than "O" for Oakland.
• City vs. Mascot confusion: Mixing the two approaches ruins alphabetical integrity. If you write "New York Yankees" under N, you can't suddenly drop "Red Sox" under R without clarifying whether you switched to team names. Stick to one sorting rule per list.
• Spacing and punctuation: Names like "St. Louis" require care. Depending on whether your sorting software strips periods or spaces, "St." might be indexed under S or placed differently relative to standard spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How many total teams are in Major League Baseball?

There are 30 active franchises playing in Major League Baseball. This number has remained stable since expansion added the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the 1998 season.

Which MLB team comes first alphabetically by city?

The Arizona Diamondbacks always sit at the very top of a city-based alphabetical list, beginning with the letter A in Phoenix.

Which team comes first alphabetically by team nickname?

When sorting purely by the team moniker without the city attached, the Los Angeles Angels (listed simply as the Angels) lead the alphabet.

Do any MLB teams share a home city?

Yes, New York City hosts two teams (the Yankees and the Mets), Chicago features two clubs (the Cubs and the White Sox), and the Los Angeles metropolitan area includes both the Dodgers and the Angels.