Editing National League (baseball) (section)

===Permanent interleague play===
For the first 96 years of its coexistence with the American League, National League teams faced their AL counterparts only in exhibition games, the All-Star Game, or in the World Series. Beginning in 1997, however, [[interleague play|interleague games]] have been played during the regular season and count in the standings. Prior to the early 2020s – before the universal designated hitter rule was started in both leagues – as part of the agreement instituting interleague play, the DH rule was used only in games where the American League team was the home team.

In 1999, the offices of American League and National League presidents were discontinued and all authority was vested in the Commissioner's office. The leagues subsequently appointed "honorary" presidents to carry out ceremonial roles such as the awarding of league championship trophies. Additionally, the distinction between AL and NL umpires was erased, and instead all umpires were unified under MLB control. Following these actions, as well as the institution of interleague play, little remains to differentiate between the two leagues.

By 2011, MLB had changed its policy on interleague play, deciding to schedule interleague games throughout the season rather than only during specially designated periods. This policy would allow each league to have 15 teams, with one team in each league playing an interleague game on any given day. As a condition of the sale of the Astros to [[Jim Crane]] in November 2011, the team agreed to move to the American League effective with the 2013 season.<ref>For more details, see [[Houston Astros#2010–2014: Last years in the NL and move to the AL West]].</ref>

In 2023, National League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 American League teams, 23 at home and 23 on the road. In 2025, this will be increased to 48 regular season interleague games, 24 at home and 24 on the road.