American League Championship Series
The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is an important part of Major League Baseball. It is a best-of-seven playoff and one of the two League Championship Series that make up the last step before the World Series. The team that wins the ALCS gets the AL pennant and goes on to play in the World Series against the winner of the National League’s Championship Series.
The ALCS started in 1969 as a smaller best-of-five playoff and stayed that way until 1985. In 1985, it changed to the best-of-seven format that we still use today. This series is very exciting because it decides which team from the American League will have the chance to compete for the biggest prize in baseball, the World Series title.
History
Before 1969, the American League champion was the team with the best win-loss record at the end of the regular season. The ALCS began in 1969 when the league split into two divisions, East and West. The winners of these divisions played a best-of-five series to decide who would go to the World Series. In 1985, this changed to a best-of-seven series.
In 1981, a special division series happened because of a players' strike. In 1994, the league changed to three divisions, and a new round called the American League Division Series was added before the ALCS. However, a player's strike stopped the season, so this new format started in 1995. The playoffs grew in 2012 and again in 2022 to include more teams. The ALCS is always played in a 2–3–2 format, meaning the team with home field advantage hosts Games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while the other team hosts Games 3, 4, and 5. Home field advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record, unless a division champion is playing a Wild Card team.
Championship Trophy
The William Harridge Trophy is given to the winner of the ALCS. Will Harridge was the president of the American League from 1931 to 1959.
Most Valuable Player Award
Main article: League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award#American League winners
The Lee MacPhail Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the best player in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). This award was first given in 1980. The winners are shown in the ALCS results table, in a special article about League Championship Series MVPs, and on the MLB website.
No MVP award is given for the Division Series games.
Results
Further information: List of American League pennant winners § 1901–1968
Appearances by team
Years of appearance
In the table below, teams are listed by how many times they have won, then how many times they have appeared, and finally by the year they first appeared. The bold years show when a team won.
Recurring matchups
| † | Wild card |
|---|---|
* | MVP did not play for winning team |
| Apps | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Most recent win | Most recent appearance | Games won | Games lost | Game win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | New York Yankees | 12 | 7 | .632 | 2024 | 2024 | 54 | 45 | .545 |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | 6 | 6 | .500 | 2018 | 2021 | 32 | 36 | .471 |
| 11 | Athletics | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1990 | 2006 | 23 | 23 | .500 |
| 10 | Baltimore Orioles | 5 | 5 | .500 | 1983 | 2014 | 21 | 20 | .512 |
| 8 | Kansas City Royals | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2015 | 2015 | 20 | 17 | .541 |
| 8 | Toronto Blue Jays | 3 | 5 | .375 | 2025 | 2025 | 20 | 27 | .426 |
| 7 | Detroit Tigers | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2012 | 2013 | 18 | 15 | .545 |
| 7 | Houston Astros | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2022 | 2023 | 23 | 19 | .548 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Angels | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2002 | 2009 | 13 | 19 | .406 |
| 6 | Cleveland Indians | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2016 | 2024 | 18 | 17 | .514 |
| 5 | Minnesota Twins | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1991 | 2002 | 9 | 12 | .429 |
| 4 | Seattle Mariners | 0 | 4 | .000 | Never | 2025 | 8 | 16 | .333 |
| 3 | Chicago White Sox | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2005 | 2005 | 7 | 8 | .467 |
| 3 | Texas Rangers | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 2023 | 2023 | 12 | 7 | .632 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2020 | 2020 | 8 | 6 | .571 |
| 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1982 | 1982 | 3 | 2 | .600 |
| Count | Matchup | Record | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 3–1 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 |
| 3 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox vs. Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1975, 1988, 1990 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 2–1 | 1999, 2003, 2004 |
| 3 | Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees | Astros, 3–0 | 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| 2 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins | Orioles, 2–0 | 1969, 1970 |
| 2 | Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays | Tied, 1–1 | 1989, 1992 |
| 2 | New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners | Yankees, 2–0 | 2000, 2001 |
| 2 | Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics | Tied, 1–1 | 1972, 2006 |
| 2 | Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays | Royals, 2–0 | 1985, 2015 |
| 2 | Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros | Tied, 1–1 | 2018, 2021 |
| 2 | Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 2–0 | 1998, 2024 |
Keep exploring
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on American League Championship Series, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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