Western League (1885–1900)
| Most recent season or competition: 1899 | |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| Founded | February 11, 1885 |
| First season | 1885 |
| Replaced by | American League |
| President | Ban Johnson (1894–1899) |
| Country | United States |
| Continent | North America |
| Most recent champion(s) | Chicago White Stockings (1899) |
| Most titles | Indianapolis (4) |
| Related competitions | Western Association Northwestern League |
The Western League was the name of several minor league baseball leagues that operated between 1885 and 1899. These leagues were focused mainly in the Midwestern United States.
The 1893 incarnation of the league hired Ban Johnson as president in 1894. In 1899, Johnson renamed it the American League and declared that it was now a major league, intending to compete against the older National League of 1876, which was centered in the American Northeast states.