2016 in baseball


Champions of United States baseball leagues

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball awards
Baseball America awards
  • MLB Player of the Year: Mike Trout
  • MLB Rookie of the Year: Corey Seager
  • MLB Manager of the Year: Terry Francona
  • MLB Executive of the Year: Chris Antonetti
  • MLB Organization of the Year: Chicago Cubs


Sporting News awards
  • Player of the Year Award: Jose Altuve
  • Starting pitcher of the Year Award
  • *American League: Corey Kluber
  • *National League: Max Scherzer
  • Relief pitcher of the Year Award
  • *American League: Zach Britton
  • *National League: Kenley Jansen
  • Rookie of the Year Award
  • *American League: Michael Fulmer
  • *National League: Corey Seager
  • Comeback Player of the Year Award
  • *American League: Mark Trumbo
  • *National League: José Fernandez
  • Manager of the Year Award
  • *American League: Terry Francona
  • *National League: Dave Roberts
  • Executive of the Year Award: Theo Epstein
Players Choice Awards
  • Outstanding Players
  • *American League: Jose Altuve
  • *National League: Daniel Murphy
  • Outstanding Pitchers
  • *American League: Rick Porcello
  • *National League: Kyle Hendricks
  • Outstanding Rookies
  • *American League: Michael Fulmer
  • *National League: Corey Seager
  • Comeback Players of the Year
  • *American League: Mark Trumbo
  • *National League: José Fernandez
  • Choice Man of the Year: Curtis Granderson
  • Choice Player of the Year: Jose Altuve
Silver Slugger Awards
Gold Glove Awards
* Platinum Glove Award Winner

Minor League Baseball

January

  • January 6 – Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. In his first year on the ballot, Griffey receives a record 99.3 percent of the vote, being named on all but three of the 440 ballots, to surpass the 98.84 percent Tom Seaver received in 1992. Piazza, in his fourth year on the ballot, receives 83.0 percent of the votes, up from the 69.9 percent he received in 2015. Griffey becomes the first player drafted #1 overall to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Piazza becomes the lowest draftee to be inducted, having been selected in the 62nd round, 1390th overall. A player needs 75 percent to gain election. This time, the vote total dropped by 109 from last year, due to the new rules writers who have not been active for 10 years lost their votes. Falling shy of enshrinement was Jeff Bagwell. The other players to be named on more than half the 440 ballots were Tim Raines, Trevor Hoffman and Curt Schilling.

    February

  • February 12 – Relief pitcher Jenrry Mejía of the New York Mets is permanently banned from Major League Baseball for a third failed drug test. Mejía had received an 80-game suspension in April, after testing positive for use of stanozolol. On July 28, three weeks after serving the suspension, he failed a test for stanozolol again as well as boldenone, and was suspended for 162 games. Mejía is allowed to apply for reinstatement after one year of the ban, but must be out of Major League Baseball for a minimum of two years if he is to be reinstated.

    March

  • March 15 – The United States Department of the Treasury announced that American employers would be allowed to hire Cuban citizens to work in the United States. This announcement theoretically means that Major League Baseball teams would be able to sign Cuban baseball players directly instead of requiring them to defect from Cuba and establish residence in another country before signing.

    April

  • April 5 – At Petco Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the San Diego Padres 15–0 in the most lopsided shutout on Opening Day. According to STATS, the previous record was the Pittsburgh Pirates' 14–0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in. The game also marks the managerial debut of the Dodgers' Dave Roberts, a former Dodger and Padre player and San Diego coach for the previous five seasons, as well as Andy Green guiding the Padres, resulting in the first Opening Day meeting of two rookie managers since Florida's Fredi González and Washington's Manny Acta in.
  • April 8 :
  • *At Coors Field, rookie Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies becomes the fifth player in Major League history to hit home runs in each of his team's first four games of a season. He hits two home runs, his fifth and sixth of the season, in the Rockies' 13–6 loss to the San Diego Padres, off starter Colin Rea in the fourth inning and reliever Ryan Buchter in the ninth. Story, who had already made history by becoming the first player to hit two home runs in his Major League debut in an Opening Day game, and hit three in each of his first three Major League games, joins Willie Mays, Mark McGwire, Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis as players who have homered in each of their team's first four games of a season. He also breaks the record of five home runs in his team's first four games, held jointly by Lou Brock in and Barry Bonds in.
  • *The St. Louis Cardinals became the first team in Major League Baseball history to have three players come off the bench to go deep in the same game. Jeremy Hazelbaker, Aledmys Díaz and Greg Garcia pinch-hit solo home runs in the final three innings, as the Cardinals prevailed with a 7–4 win over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
  • April 21 – At Great American Ball Park, Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Cincinnati Reds 16–0. He walks four and strikes out six and is backed by five home runs: two by Kris Bryant, including a grand slam, and one each by Ben Zobrist, Anthony Rizzo and Arrieta's catcher, David Ross. Arrieta, who no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 30,, joins Ken Holtzman as the only Cubs pitchers to throw multiple no-hitters in modern history. The Arrieta no-hitter is also the first against the Reds in regular season play since the Philadelphia Phillies' Rick Wise on June 23,, though Roy Halladay had no-hit them during the 2010 National League Division Series. It also sets a modern-day record for most lopsided score in a no-hitter, topping the 15–0 score in Frank Smith's no-hitter on September 6,. Previously, Pud Galvin had pitched an 18–0 no-hitter on August 4,.
  • August 26 – Andrew McCutchen hit three home runs for the second time of his career to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9–4 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. As a result, McCutchen is only the fourth player in Pirates history with a pair of three-homer games, being the others Hall of Famers Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell.
  • April 29 – At Chase Field, Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story hit his 10th home run of the season, tying the Major League Baseball rookie record for most home runs in the month of April, set by Chicago White Sox slugger José Abreu in 2014. Story belted a two-run shot off pitcher Robbie Ray in the fifth inning, helping the Rockies cruise to a 9–0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In hitting his 10th home run in 21 games, Story tied Boston Red Sox first baseman George Scott in 1966 as the fastest player in major league history to reach that home run total.