The following are the baseball events of the year 1896 throughout the world.

• Temple Cup: Baltimore Orioles over Cleveland Spiders (4–0)
• National League: Baltimore Orioles

• Batting average: Jesse Burkett – .410
• Home runs: Ed Delahanty and Bill Joyce – 13
• Runs batted in: Ed Delahanty – 126
• Wins: Frank Killen and Kid Nichols – 30
• Earned run average: Billy Rhines – 2.45
• Strikeouts: Cy Young – 140

• Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Ed Delahanty led the NL in home runs (13), slugging percentage (.631), adjusted OPS+ (190), and runs batted in (126). He was second in the NL in total bases (315). He was third in the NL in batting average (.397) and on-base percentage (.472).^[1][2]
• Cleveland Spiders pitcher Cy Young had a win–loss record of 28–15 and led the NL in strikeouts (140) and shutouts (5). He was second in the NL in innings pitched (414.1). He was third in the NL in wins (28). He was fifth in the NL in earned run average (3.24) and adjusted ERA+ (140).^[3][4]

• April 7 – A broken wrist that refuses to heal compels Louisville first baseman Pete Cassidy to be the first MLB player to try a newfangled medical breakthrough called the "x-ray".
• May 9 –
  • Shortstop Herman Long hits for the cycle to give the Boston Beaneaters a 17–5 victory over the Louisville Colonels.
  • The Washington Senators defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 14–9, in a beanball battle. Senators pitcher Win Mercer hits three Pittsburgh batters while Pirate Pink Hawley plunks three Washington batters in a disastrous 11-run seventh inning, tying a mark he set on July 4, 1894. Hawley retires in 1900 after nine seasons of play with a still-standing National League record of 195 hit batters. All told, eight batters are plunked in the contest, a National League-record five by Hawley. The five Washington batters hit by pitches ties the NL mark and won't be matched until July 2, 1969.
  • Hughie Jennings of the Baltimore Orioles knocks down Cincinnati Reds third baseman Charlie Irwin before he can catch Bid McPhee's throw. Jennings scores afterward to give the Orioles a controversial 6–5, 10-inning win over Cincinnati. Umpire Bob Emslie is escorted out of the ballpark by Cincinnati police.
• May 30 – Washington Senators third baseman Bill Joyce hits for the cycle in an 8–1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• July 13 – Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Ed Delahanty becomes the second Major Leaguer to hit four home runs in a game, two of them being inside-the-park home runs. It wasn't enough, as the Phillies lose to the Chicago Colts, 9–8. He is the only member of the "four home runs in a game" club to have an inside-the-park home run as part of his feat, and he is the first player to do so in a losing effort.

• January 4 – Tom Foley, 49, outfielder.
• January 22 – George Heubel, 47, outfielder for two seasons in the National Association, 1871–1872, and one in the National League, 1876.
• March 16 – Kid Madden, 28, pitcher for the Boston Beaneaters, Boston Reds, and Baltimore Orioles from 1887 to 1891.
• May 3 – George McVey, 30, first baseman/catcher.
• June 4 – John Hauck, 66, owner of the Cincinnati Red Stockings in the mid-1880s.
• July 23 – Jack Beach, 34, outfielder.
• August 5 – Ben Stephens, 28, pitcher.
• August 29 – Curt Welch, 34, center fielder in the American Association who led league in doubles with 1889 Athletics and scored 100 runs five times.
• September 20 – Ed Crane, 34, pitcher/outfielder for nine seasons, most prominently for the New York Giants.
• September 23 – John Crowley, 34, catcher for the 1884 Philadelphia Quakers.
• September 26 – John Curran, 44, appeared in three games for the 1876 Philadelphia Athletics.
• November 10 – Jim Ritz, 22, third baseman.
• December 30 – Dave Birdsall, 58, outfielder.