1901 Major League Baseball season

The 1901 major league baseball season was contested from April 18 through October 6, 1901. It was the inaugural major league season for the American League (AL) (having previous been the minor league Western League), with the Chicago White Stockings finishing first in league standings. In the National League (NL), in operation since 1876, the Pittsburgh Pirates finished atop the league standings. There was no postseason.

Schedule
The 1901 schedule consisted of 140 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 20 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This format had previously been used by the National League during their 1888–1891 seasons. This format would last until, which saw an increase of games played.

National League Opening Day took place on April 18 with a game between the Brooklyn Superbas and the Philadelphia Phillies, while American League Opening Day did not take place until April 24, with a game between the Chicago White Stockings and the Cleveland Bluebirds. The American League would see its final day of the season on September 28, while the National League would see its final day of the season on October 6.

Rule changes
On February 27, 1901, the National League Rules Committee announced several rule changes, effective immediately. Further changes were made in April:
 * All foul balls are to count as strike balls, except after two strikes. Previously, foul balls would not affect the count. To cut the cost of lost foul balls, the committee urges that batters who foul off good strikes are to be disciplined. The American League will not adopt this rule until the 1903 season.
 * catchers must play within 10 feet of the batter
 * A ball will be called if the pitcher does not throw to a ready and waiting batter within 20 seconds
 * Players using indecent or improper language will be banished by the umpire.
 * A ball will be called when a batter is hit by a pitch.
 * In a mail vote, the owners rescinded the new hit by pitch rule, restoring the rule that a HBP will earn a batter first base.

American League
1 American League Triple Crown batting winner 2 American League Triple Crown pitching winner

Batters

 * Nap Lajoie (PHA):
 * Became the fourth player in MLB history and the first in American League history to win the Triple Crown, an achievement of leading a league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI) over the same season.

Pitchers

 * Cy Young (BSA):
 * Won the pitching triple crown.