The
American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the
American League (
AL), is one of two leagues that make up
Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the
Western League, a minor league based in the
Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to
major league status. It is sometimes called the
Junior Circuit because it claimed Major League status for the 1901 season, 25 years after the formation of the
National League (the "Senior Circuit").