American League Division Series

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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 Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring each of the two division winners with the best records and the winners of the wild-card play-off.

History[edit]

The Division Series was implemented in 1981 as a one-off tournament because of a midseason strike, with the first place teams before the strike taking on the teams in first place after the strike. In 1981, a split-season format forced the first ever divisional playoff series, in which the New York Yankees won the Eastern Division series over the Milwaukee Brewers (who were in the American League until 1998) in five games while in the Western Division, the Oakland Athletics swept the Kansas City Royals (the only team with an overall losing record to ever make the postseason).

In 1994, it was returned permanently when Major League Baseball (MLB) restructured each league into three divisions, but with a different format than in 1981. Each of the division winners, along with one wild card team, qualify for the Division Series. Despite being planned for the 1994 season, the postseason was cancelled that year due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike. In 1995, the first season to feature a division series, the Western Division champion Seattle Mariners defeated the wild card New York Yankees three games to two, while the Central Division champion Cleveland Indians defeated the Eastern Division champion Boston Red Sox in a three-game sweep.

From 1994 to 2011, the wild card was given to the team in the American League with the best overall record that was not a division champion. Beginning with the 2012 season, a second wild card team was added, and the two wild card teams play a single-game playoff to determine which team would play in the ALDS. For the 2020 Major League Baseball season only, there was an expanded playoff format, owing to an abbreviated 60-game regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight teams qualified from the American League: the top two teams in each division plus the next two best records among the remaining teams. These eight teams played a best-of-three-game series to determine placement in the ALDS. The regular format returned for the 2021 season.

As of 2022, the Yankees have played in and won the most division series, with thirteen wins in twenty-two appearances. In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros were the final American League teams to make their first appearances in the ALDS. The Astros had been in the National League through 2012, and had played in the National League Division Series (NLDS) seven times. The Astros are the only team to win the ALDS in six consecutive seasons. The Yankees record of four consecutive victories was broken by the Astros with their victory in the 2021 ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Determining the matchups[edit]

The ALDS is a best-of-five series where the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season hosts the winner of the Wild Card Series between the top two wild card teams in one matchup, and the divisional winner with the second best winning percentage hosts the winner of the series between the lowest-seeded divisional winner and the lowest-seeded wild card team.[1] (From 2012 to 2021, the wild card team was assigned to play the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season in one series, and the other two division winners met in the other series.[2] From 1998 to 2011, if the wild-card team and the division winner with the best record were from the same division, the wild-card team played the division winner with the second-best record, and the remaining two division leaders played each other.) The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS. According to Nate Silver, the advent of this playoff series, and especially of the wild card, has caused teams to focus more on "getting to the playoffs" rather than "winning the pennant" as the primary goal of the regular season.[3]

From 2012 to 2021, the wild card team that advances to the Division Series was to face the number 1 seed, regardless whether or not they are in the same division.[4][5][6][7] The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS. Beginning with the 2022 season, the winner between the lowest-ranked division winner and lowest-ranked wild card team faces the number 2 seed division winner in the Division Series, while the 4 v. 5 wild card winner still faces the number 1 seed, as there is no reseeding even if the 6-seeded wild card advances. Home-field advantage goes to the team with the better regular season record (or head-to-head record if there is a tie between two or more teams), except for the wild-card team, which never receives the home field advantage.[8][9][10]

Beginning in 2003, MLB has implemented a new rule to give the team from the league that wins the All-Star Game with the best regular season record a slightly greater advantage. In order to spread out the Division Series games for broadcast purposes, the two ALDS series follow one of two off-day schedules. Starting in 2007, after consulting the MLBPA, MLB has decided to allow the team with the best record in the league that wins the All-Star Game to choose whether to use the seven-day schedule (1-2-off-3-4-off-5) or the eight-day schedule (1-off-2-off-3-4-off-5). The team only gets to choose the schedule; the opponent is still determined by win–loss records.

Initially, the best-of-5 series played in a 2–3 format, with the first two games set at home for the lower seed team and the last three for the higher seed.[11][12] Since 1998, the series has followed a 2–2–1 format,[13] where the higher seed team plays at home in Games 1 and 2, the lower seed plays at home in Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary), and if a Game 5 is needed, the teams return to the higher seed's field. When MLB added a second wild card team in 2012, the Division Series re-adopted the 2–3 format due to scheduling conflicts. However, it reverted to the 2–2–1 format starting the next season, 2013.[14]

Results[edit]

Key
Wild card
Year Winning team Manager Games Losing team Manager
1981 New York Yankees Bob Lemon 3–2 Milwaukee Brewers Buck Rodgers
Oakland Athletics Billy Martin 3–0 Kansas City Royals Dick Howser
1994 No Series due to a players' strike.
1995 Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove 3–0 Boston Red Sox Kevin Kennedy
Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella 3–2 New York Yankees Buck Showalter
1996 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–1 Texas Rangers Johnny Oates
Baltimore Orioles Davey Johnson 3–1 Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove
1997 Baltimore Orioles Davey Johnson 3–1 Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella
Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove 3–2 New York Yankees Joe Torre
1998 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–0 Texas Rangers Johnny Oates
Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove 3–1 Boston Red Sox Jimy Williams
1999 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–0 Texas Rangers Johnny Oates
Boston Red Sox Jimy Williams 3–2 Cleveland Indians Mike Hargrove
2000 Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella 3–0 Chicago White Sox Jerry Manuel
New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–2 Oakland Athletics Art Howe
2001 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–2 Oakland Athletics Art Howe
Seattle Mariners Lou Piniella 3–2 Cleveland Indians Charlie Manuel
2002 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire 3–2 Oakland Athletics Art Howe
Anaheim Angels Mike Scioscia 3–1 New York Yankees Joe Torre
2003 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–1 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire
Boston Red Sox Grady Little 3–2 Oakland Athletics Ken Macha
2004 New York Yankees Joe Torre 3–1 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire
Boston Red Sox Terry Francona 3–0 Anaheim Angels Mike Scioscia
2005 Chicago White Sox Ozzie Guillén 3–0 Boston Red Sox Terry Francona
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mike Scioscia 3–2 New York Yankees Joe Torre
2006 Detroit Tigers Jim Leyland 3–1 New York Yankees Joe Torre
Oakland Athletics Ken Macha 3–0 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire
2007 Boston Red Sox Terry Francona 3–0 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mike Scioscia
Cleveland Indians Eric Wedge 3–1 New York Yankees Joe Torre
2008 Boston Red Sox Terry Francona 3–1 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mike Scioscia
Tampa Bay Rays Joe Maddon 3–1 Chicago White Sox Ozzie Guillén
2009 New York Yankees Joe Girardi 3–0 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mike Scioscia 3–0 Boston Red Sox Terry Francona
2010 Texas Rangers Ron Washington 3–2 Tampa Bay Rays Joe Maddon
New York Yankees Joe Girardi 3–0 Minnesota Twins Ron Gardenhire
2011 Texas Rangers Ron Washington 3–1 Tampa Bay Rays Joe Maddon
Detroit Tigers Jim Leyland 3–2 New York Yankees Joe Girardi
2012 Detroit Tigers Jim Leyland 3–2 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin
New York Yankees Joe Girardi 3–2 Baltimore Orioles Buck Showalter
2013 Detroit Tigers Jim Leyland 3–2 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin
Boston Red Sox John Farrell 3–1 Tampa Bay Rays Joe Maddon
2014 Baltimore Orioles Buck Showalter 3–0 Detroit Tigers Brad Ausmus
Kansas City Royals Ned Yost 3–0 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mike Scioscia
2015 Toronto Blue Jays John Gibbons 3–2 Texas Rangers Jeff Banister
Kansas City Royals Ned Yost 3–2 Houston Astros A. J. Hinch
2016 Cleveland Indians Terry Francona 3–0 Boston Red Sox John Farrell
Toronto Blue Jays John Gibbons 3–0 Texas Rangers Jeff Banister
2017 Houston Astros A. J. Hinch 3–1 Boston Red Sox John Farrell
New York Yankees Joe Girardi 3–2 Cleveland Indians Terry Francona
2018 Houston Astros A. J. Hinch 3–0 Cleveland Indians Terry Francona
Boston Red Sox Alex Cora 3–1 New York Yankees Aaron Boone
2019 New York Yankees Aaron Boone 3–0 Minnesota Twins Rocco Baldelli
Houston Astros A. J. Hinch 3–2 Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Cash
2020 Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Cash 3–2 New York Yankees Aaron Boone
Houston Astros Dusty Baker 3–1 Oakland Athletics Bob Melvin
2021 Boston Red Sox Alex Cora 3–1 Tampa Bay Rays Kevin Cash
Houston Astros Dusty Baker 3–1 Chicago White Sox Tony La Russa
2022 Houston Astros Dusty Baker 3–0 Seattle Mariners Scott Servais
New York Yankees Aaron Boone 3–2 Cleveland Guardians Terry Francona
2023 Texas Rangers Bruce Bochy 3–0 Baltimore Orioles Brandon Hyde
Houston Astros Dusty Baker 3–1 Minnesota Twins Rocco Baldelli

Appearances by team[edit]

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Most recent
win
Most recent
appearance
Games
won
Games
lost
Game
win %
23 New York Yankees 14 9 .609 2022 2022 56 42 .571
14 Boston Red Sox 8 6 .571 2021 2021 26 26 .500
11 Cleveland Guardians 5 6 .455 2016 2022 24 22 .522
9 Oakland Athletics 2 7 .222 2006 2020 19 21 .475
8 Houston Astros 7 1 .875 2023 2023 23 9 .719
8 Texas Rangers 3 5 .375 2023 2023 12 18 .400
8 Minnesota Twins 1 7 .125 2002 2023 6 23 .207
7 Los Angeles Angels 3 4 .429 2009 2014 10 15 .400
7 Tampa Bay Rays 2 5 .333 2020 2021 13 18 .419
5 Detroit Tigers 4 1 .800 2013 2014 12 10 .545
5 Seattle Mariners 3 2 .600 2001 2022 10 10 .500
5 Baltimore Orioles 3 2 .600 2014 2023 11 8 .579
4 Chicago White Sox 1 3 .250 2005 2021 5 9 .357
3 Kansas City Royals 2 1 .667 2015 2015 6 5 .545
2 Toronto Blue Jays 2 0 1.000 2016 2016 6 2 .750
1 Milwaukee Brewers[a] 0 1 .000 Never 1981 2 3 .400

Years of appearance[edit]

In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of wins, then by number of appearances, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Season(s)" column, bold years indicate winning appearances.

Apps Team Wins Losses Win % Season(s)
23 New York Yankees 14 9 .609 1981, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
14 Boston Red Sox 8 6 .571 1995, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021
8 Houston Astros 7 1 .875 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
11 Cleveland Guardians 5 6 .455 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
5 Detroit Tigers 4 1 .800 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
8 Texas Rangers 3 5 .375 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2023
7 Los Angeles Angels 3 4 .429 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014
5 Seattle Mariners 3 2 .600 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2022
5 Baltimore Orioles 3 2 .600 1996, 1997, 2012, 2014, 2023
9 Oakland Athletics 2 7 .222 1981, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2020
7 Tampa Bay Rays 2 5 .286 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021
3 Kansas City Royals 2 1 .667 1981, 2014, 2015
2 Toronto Blue Jays 2 0 1.000 2015, 2016
8 Minnesota Twins 1 7 .125 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2019, 2023
4 Chicago White Sox 1 3 .250 2000, 2005, 2008, 2021
1 Milwaukee Brewers[a] 0 1 .000 1981

Frequent matchups[edit]

Count Matchup Record Years
5 New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins Yankees, 5–0 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2019
4 Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels Red Sox, 3–1 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
4 Cleveland Guardians vs. Boston Red Sox Guardians, 3–1 1995, 1998, 1999, 2016
4 Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees Tied, 2–2 1997, 2007, 2017, 2022
3 Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees Yankees, 3–0 1996, 1998, 1999
2 New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics Yankees, 2–0 2000, 2001
2 New York Yankees vs. Anaheim-LA Angels Angels, 2–0 2002, 2005
2 Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays Rangers, 2–0 2010, 2011
2 Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins Tied, 1–1 2002, 2006
2 Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees Tigers, 2–0 2006, 2011
2 Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics Tigers, 2–0 2012, 2013
2 Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Blue Jays, 2–0 2015, 2016
2 Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays Red Sox, 2–0 2013, 2021

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b The Milwaukee Brewers moved to the National League in 1998.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New MLB postseason format, explained". MLB.com.
  2. ^ Kepner, Tyler (2012-03-05). "For No. 1 Seeds, Road to Title Comes With Bumps". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  3. ^ Nate Silver, "Selig's Dream: The Wild Card as Enabler of Pennant Races," in Steven Goldman, Ed., It Ain't Over 'til It's Over (New York: Basic Books): 170-178.
  4. ^ Bloom, Barry M. (March 2, 2012). "Addition of Wild Card berths finalized for 2012". MLB.com.
  5. ^ "MLB to expand playoffs by two teams to 10". ESPN.com. 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  6. ^ Rudnansky, Ryan. "MLB Playoff Format 2012: Explaining Wild Card, Divisional Series Changes & More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  7. ^ Kepner, Tyler (2012-10-05). "In Wild-Card Play-In Game, It's Win or You're Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  8. ^ "New MLB postseason format, explained". MLB.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  9. ^ Kepner, Tyler (2022-10-06). "Baseball's Postseason Is Evolving, for Better or Worse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  10. ^ "Everything you need to know about '22 season". MLB.com. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  11. ^ 1984 NL Championship Series, Baseball-Reference.com
  12. ^ 1997 AL Division Series, Baseball-Reference.com
  13. ^ Gillette, Gary; Palmer, Pete, eds. (2006). "October Classics: Postseason Series and Playoffs". The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 1656.
  14. ^ Sporting News (2012-03-02). "MLB expands playoff field to 10 teams with addition of two wild cards". Retrieved October 28, 2013.

External links[edit]