Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

American League Division Series

In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The ALDS is actually two best-of-five series with the three division winners and a wild-card team participating. The ALDS was created after the 1994 season when Major League Baseball restructured the American League into three divisions.

Typically, the wild-card team plays the division leader with the best winning percentage in one series, and the other two division leaders play the other series. However, if the wild-card team and winningest division leader are from the same division, the wild-card team plays the next winningest division leader, and the other two division leaders play. In any event, the two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS.

Since the ALDS's inception, the only teams to meet more than twice are the Cleveland Indians vs. the Boston Red Sox, the Seattle Mariners vs. the New York Yankees, and the Texas Rangers vs. the New York Yankees.

ALDS results (1995-present)

YearWinnerLoserWinsLosses
1995Cleveland IndiansBoston Red Sox 30
Seattle MarinersNew York Yankees† 32
1996New York YankeesTexas Rangers 3 1
Baltimore Orioles†Cleveland Indians 31
1997Baltimore OriolesSeattle Mariners 31
Cleveland IndiansNew York Yankees† 32
1998New York YankeesTexas Rangers 30
Cleveland IndiansBoston Red Sox† 32
1999New York YankeesTexas Rangers 30
Boston Red Sox†Cleveland Indians 32
2000Seattle Mariners†Chicago White Sox 30
New York YankeesOakland Athletics 32
2001New York YankeesOakland Athletics† 32
Seattle MarinersCleveland Indians 32
2002Minnesota TwinsOakland Athletics 32
Anaheim Angels†New York Yankees 31
2003New York YankeesMinnesota Twins 31
Boston Red Sox†Oakland Athletics 32
†Denotes wild-card team.

Related articles