Champions
Major League Baseball
National League: Chicago White Stockings
American Association: St. Louis Browns
World Series
St. Louis Browns 4, Chicago White Stockings 2
Minor League Baseball
Eastern League: Newark
International League: Utica
New England League: Portland
Northwestern League: Duluth
Western League: Denver
College baseball
Inter-Collegiate Association: Yale University
Major League Baseball final standings
National League final standings
American Association final standings
Statistical leaders
National League statistical leaders
American Association statistical leaders
All-Time Statistical Leaders (Strikeouts) The 1886 season was memorable as the top two all-time Major League Baseball single season strikeout totals were established that year:
Notable seasons
Guy Hecker of the Louisville Colonels not only compiled a 26–23 record with a 2.87 Earned Run Average as the Colonels number 2 pitcher, he also won the American Association batting crown with a .341 average. Hecker remains the only pitcher to ever win a batting title. Matt Kilroy of the Baltimore Orioles throws 4 2-hitters, 3 1-hitters and a no-hitter in his rookie season in 1886. Kilroy also sets the single season major league record with 513 strikeouts. Jocko Flynn of the Chicago White Stockings goes 23–6 in his rookie season in 1886. Flynn develops arm trouble and never pitches again in the major leagues. His 23 wins are still a record for a pitcher who only pitched in 1 season.
Events
January–March
January 4 – St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe sells the reserve rights of Sam Barkley to the Pittsburgh Alleghenys for $1,000. von der Ahe had previously sold the rights to the Baltimore Orioles on December 24, 1885 but had not received payment from Baltimore. Barkley, in the interim, had already signed a contract with Baltimore. The resulting power struggle within the American Association to resolve the situation would lead to the ouster of league president, Denny McKnight. January 16 – The Washington Nationals are admitted to the National League. February 5 – The lawsuit brought by Fred Thayer and George Wright against Albert Spalding and his Spalding sporting goods company for infringement upon Thayer's patent rights to the catching mask goes to trial. Spalding will be forced to pay royalties to Thayer and Wright when the case is settled. February 9 – The Kansas City Cowboys are admitted to the National League for a one-year trial. This brings the NL back to 8 teams for 1886. February 27 – The Cincinnati Red Stockings of the American Association is sold by Aaron Stern to Louis Huack, a wealthy brewer and banker. March 2 – The American Association meets, overruling its own president Denny McKnight, and suspends Sam Barkley for signing with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys after he had already signed with the Baltimore Orioles. March 2 – The American Association reduces the number of balls needed for a walk to six and adopts the stolen base as an official statistic. March 4 – The National League makes the stolen base an official statistic as well but keeps the number of balls for a walk at seven. March 5 – In breaking from official league policy, the National League allows the St. Louis Maroons and the Philadelphia Quakers to drop their ticket prices to 25¢. The removal of the 50¢ requirement for those teams is due to competing teams from the American Association in their respective cities. March 17 – The Sporting News, founded by Alfred H. Spink, publishes its first issue. It will quickly become the leading source of baseball information in the country. March 22 – The American Association removes Denny McKnight as president due to his handling of the Sam Barkley incident. Wheeler Wikoff is selected as his replacement.