1974 Major League Baseball season

1974 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 4 – October 17, 1974
Number of games162
Number of teams24
TV partner(s)NBC
Draft
Top draft pickBill Almon
Picked bySan Diego Padres
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Jeff Burroughs (TEX)
NL: Steve Garvey (LA)
Postseason
AL championsOakland Athletics
  AL runners-upBaltimore Orioles
NL championsLos Angeles Dodgers
  NL runners-upPittsburgh Pirates
World Series
ChampionsOakland Athletics
  Runners-upLos Angeles Dodgers
World Series MVPRollie Fingers (OAK)
MLB seasons

The 1974 Major League Baseball season: The Oakland Athletics won their third consecutive World Series, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to one.

Two notable personal milestones were achieved during the 1974 season. The first came on April 8, when Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves blasted his 715th career home run, breaking the all-time career home run mark of 714 set by Babe Ruth. Aaron would finish his career with 755 home runs, a record that would stand until Barry Bonds broke it in 2007. The second milestone came on September 10, when the St. Louis Cardinals' Lou Brock stole his 105th base off pitcher Dick Ruthven and catcher Bob Boone of the Philadelphia Phillies. This broke the single-season stolen base record of 104, set by Maury Wills in 1962. Brock stole 118 bases for the season, a record that would stand until 1982, when Rickey Henderson stole 130.