The 1995 Major League Baseball season was the first season to be played under the expanded postseason format, as the League Division Series (LDS) was played in both the American and National leagues for the first time, since the 1981 strike-split season. However, due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike which carried into the 1995 season, a shortened 144-game schedule commenced on April 25, when the Florida Marlins played host to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Atlanta Braves became the first franchise to win World Series championships for three cities. Along with their 1995 title, the Braves won in 1914 as the Boston Braves, and in 1957 as the Milwaukee Braves.

Regular season

After the 1994 season was ended due to the players' strike, there was still a deal that had to be worked out. However, it wasn't until major league owners parlayed plans to have replacement players play in 1995 that the players got into serious negotiations. Due to the strike, there was no official defending champion for the year. However, the negotiations pushed the start of the season back to late April, already 18 games into a regular season. Despite the strike, which alienated many fans, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played streak when he played in his 2,131st straight game on September6. Games during the playoffs were also broadcast simultaneously, meaning that games were broadcast only regionally. Despite the oddities, the 1995 season is now considered a financial success where the two best teams in baseball (in their leagues) met up in the World Series, the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves. For the first time since 1954, the Indians were the AL representatives in the World Series. This came on the heels of dominating the AL Central (beating second place Kansas City by 30 games). They met the Boston Red Sox, who had AL MVP Mo Vaughn (39 home runs, 126 RBI) and got to start the series at home. Regardless, Cleveland swept the Red Sox. Meanwhile, in the other ALDS series between Seattle and the Yankees, the Yankees stormed out to a quick 2–0 series lead at Yankee Stadium, winning game2 on a 15th inning walk-off home run by Jim Leyritz. However, as the series shifted to The Kingdome in Seattle, the Mariners, who had made a 13-game comeback on the California Angels to force a one-game playoff (in which the Mariners' ace Randy Johnson got the win), the Mariners won games3 and4 to cause a classic game5, in which the Mariners came back three times to win on Edgar Martínez's famous double that scored Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr. In the ALCS, the Mariners surprised the Indians by taking game1, however on the power of pitchers Dennis Martínez and Orel Hershiser, the Indians managed to knock off Seattle in 6. In the NLDS, it was the near-opposite to the New York/Seattle series. The Cincinnati Reds, who'd run away with the NL Central, swept the Dodgers while the Atlanta Braves took both games vs. Colorado at Coors Field before the Rockies finally won a game in Game3. The Braves, however, finished off the Rockies at home in Game4. Then, in the NLCS, after taking both games at Riverfront Stadium, the Braves finished the sweep of the Reds at home. In the 1995 World Series, the Braves took the first two at home vs. Cleveland. Then, during the three games at Jacobs Field, the Indians won games3 and5 but those wins were sandwiched around the Braves 5–2 Game4 victory. In Game6, the Braves, on the power of an 8-inning one-hitter thrown by Tom Glavine, and David Justice hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning, won 1–0 and won the World Series. The victory made the Braves the first team to win World Series in three home cities (Boston (1914), Milwaukee (1957), and Atlanta (1995)).

Statistical leaders

Standings

American League

National League

Postseason

Bracket

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Awards and honors

Other awards

Player of the Month

Pitcher of the Month

Managers

American League

National League

Home field attendance and payroll

Television coverage

This was the second and final season of The Baseball Network, the joint venture between MLB, ABC, and NBC. Meanwhile, ESPN continued to air Sunday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball. The long-term plans for The Baseball Network began to crumble after the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike began on August 12, 1994, forcing the cancellation of the rest of the 1994 regular season, the postseason, and that year's World Series, Both networks elected to dissolve the partnership with Major League Baseball on June 22, 1995. Both networks figured that as the delayed 1995 baseball season opened without a labor agreement, there was no guarantee against another strike. Under the terms of the agreement, it could be voided by any party if the venture did not produce a minimum of $330 million in revenue over the first two years. ABC and NBC were able to air their full respective slates of 1995 Baseball Night in America regular season games. To salvage the remains of the partnership, ABC and NBC elected to share coverage of the 1995 postseason including the World Series. MLB would then replace The Baseball Network with new deals with NBC and Fox beginning in 1996.

Domestic

International

Events

January–June

July–September

October–December

Undated events

Deaths