First division (baseball)

Standings in Major League Baseball (MLB) as published on June 10, 1946, showing the then-eight teams in each league divided into a first division (teams on the left) and a second division (teams on the right).

First division and second division are terms in the sport of baseball referring to rankings within a league. Teams ranked in the top half of the league standings table (e.g. the top four teams in an eight-team league) are said to be in the "first division", while teams in the bottom half of the standings are said to be in the "second division".

The term was once closely associated with Major League Baseball (MLB). However, since the introduction of a divisional structure by MLB in 1969, usage of the term is now uncommon.

Within MLB, the New York Yankees finished in the first division for a record 39 consecutive seasons (1926–1964) while, by comparison, the Chicago Cubs once finished in the second division for 20 seasons in a row (1947–1966).