1896 Major League Baseball season

1896 MLB season
LeagueNational League (NL)
SportBaseball
DurationRegular season:
  • April 16 – September 26, 1896
Temple Cup:
  • October 2–8, 1896
Number of games132
Number of teams12
Pennant winner
NL championsBaltimore Orioles
  NL runners-upCleveland Spiders
Temple Cup
ChampionsBaltimore Orioles
  Runners-upCleveland Spiders
Locations of teams for the 1896–1897 National League seasons
National League

The 1896 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1896. The regular season ended on September 26, with the Baltimore Orioles as the pennant winner of the National League and the Cleveland Spiders as runner-up. In a rematch of the previous season, the postseason began with Game 1 of the third Temple Cup on October 2 and ended with Game 4 on October 8. The Orioles swept the Spiders, capturing their first Temple Cup.

The 1896 Temple Cup was the only one of four Temple Cups which saw the NL pennant winner win the championship series.