# American League Championship Series

The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. The winner of the ALCS wins the AL pennant and advances to the World Series, MLB's championship series, to play the winner of the National League's (NL) Championship Series. The ALCS began in 1969 as a best-of-five playoff and used this format until 1985, when it changed to its current best-of-seven format.

## History

Prior to 1969, the American League champion (the "pennant winner") was determined by the best win–loss record at the end of the regular season. There was one ad hoc single-game playoff held, in 1948, due to a tie under this formulation.
The ALCS started in 1969, when the AL reorganized into two divisions, East and West. The winners of each division played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advance to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.
In 1981, a division series was held due to a split season caused by a players' strike.
In 1994, the league was restructured into three divisions, with the three division winners and a Wild Card team advancing to a best-of-five postseason round, known as the American League Division Series (ALDS). The winners of that round then advanced to the best-of-seven ALCS; however, due to the player's strike later that season, no postseason was played and the new format did not formally begin until 1995. The playoffs were expanded in 2012 to include a second Wild Card team and in 2022 to include a third Wild Card team.
The ALCS and NLCS, since the expansion to best-of-seven, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home field advantage, and Games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not. The series concludes when one team records its fourth win. Since 1998, home field advantage has been given to the team that has the better regular season record, except a division champion would always get home advantage over a Wild Card team. If both teams have identical records in the regular season, then home field advantage goes to the team that has the winning head-to-head record. From 1969 to 1993, home-field advantage alternated between the two divisions, and from 1995 to 1997 home-field advantage was determined before the season.
Nine managers have led a team to the ALCS in three consecutive seasons; the record for most consecutive ALCS appearances by a manager is jointly held by Joe Torre, who led the New York Yankees to four in a row (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001), and Dusty Baker, who led the Houston Astros to four in a row (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023). The Astros (2017–2023) are also the only team in the American League to have made seven consecutive American League Championship Series appearances. Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland are the only managers to lead their teams to three consecutive League Championship Series appearances in both leagues.
The Milwaukee Brewers, an American League team between 1969 and 1997, and the Houston Astros, a National League team between 1962 and 2012, are the only franchises to play in both the ALCS and NLCS. The Astros are the only team to have won both an NLCS (2005) and an ALCS (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022). Every current American League franchise has appeared in the ALCS.

## Championship Trophy

The William Harridge Trophy is awarded to the ALCS champion. Will Harridge served as American League president from 1931 to 1959.

## Most Valuable Player Award

    See: League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award#American League winners
The Lee MacPhail Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the outstanding player in the ALCS. No MVP award is given for Division Series play.
Although the National League began its LCS MVP award in 1977, the American League did not begin its LCS MVP award till 1980. The winners are listed in several locations:
* in the below ALCS results table, in the "Series MVP" column
* in the article League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award
* on the MLB website

## Results

Key :
| † | Wild card |
| * | MVP did not play for winning team |
| Year | Winning team | Manager | Games | Losing team | Manager | Series MVP |
| 1969 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | 3–0 | Minnesota Twins | Billy Martin | |
| 1970 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | 3–0 | Minnesota Twins | Bill Rigney | |
| 1971 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | 3–0 | Oakland Athletics | Dick Williams | |
| 1972 | Oakland Athletics | Dick Williams | 3–2 | Detroit Tigers | Billy Martin | |
| 1973 | Oakland Athletics | Dick Williams | 3–2 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | |
| 1974 | Oakland Athletics | Alvin Dark | 3–1 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | |
| 1975 | Boston Red Sox | Darrell Johnson | 3–0 | Oakland Athletics | Alvin Dark | |
| 1976 | New York Yankees | Billy Martin | 3–2 | Kansas City Royals | Whitey Herzog | |
| 1977 | New York Yankees | Billy Martin | 3–2 | Kansas City Royals | Whitey Herzog | |
| 1978 | New York Yankees | Bob Lemon | 3–1 | Kansas City Royals | Whitey Herzog | |
| 1979 | Baltimore Orioles | Earl Weaver | 3–1 | California Angels | Jim Fregosi | |
| 1980 | Kansas City Royals | Jim Frey | 3–0 | New York Yankees | Dick Howser | Frank White, Kansas City |
| 1981 | New York Yankees | Bob Lemon | 3–0 | Oakland Athletics | Billy Martin | Graig Nettles, New York |
| 1982 | Milwaukee Brewers | Harvey Kuenn | 3–2 | California Angels | Gene Mauch | Fred Lynn, California* |
| 1983 | Baltimore Orioles | Joe Altobelli | 3–1 | Chicago White Sox | Tony La Russa | Mike Boddicker, Baltimore |
| 1984 | Detroit Tigers | Sparky Anderson | 3–0 | Kansas City Royals | Dick Howser | Kirk Gibson, Detroit |
| 1985 | Kansas City Royals | Dick Howser | 4–3 | Toronto Blue Jays | Bobby Cox | George Brett, Kansas City |
| 1986 | Boston Red Sox | John McNamara | 4–3 | California Angels | Gene Mauch | Marty Barrett, Boston |
| 1987 | Minnesota Twins | Tom Kelly | 4–1 | Detroit Tigers | Sparky Anderson | Gary Gaetti, Minnesota |
| 1988 | Oakland Athletics | Tony La Russa | 4–0 | Boston Red Sox | Joe Morgan | Dennis Eckersley, Oakland |
| 1989 | Oakland Athletics | Tony La Russa | 4–1 | Toronto Blue Jays | Cito Gaston | Rickey Henderson, Oakland |
| 1990 | Oakland Athletics | Tony La Russa | 4–0 | Boston Red Sox | Joe Morgan | Dave Stewart, Oakland |
| 1991 | Minnesota Twins | Tom Kelly | 4–1 | Toronto Blue Jays | Cito Gaston | Kirby Puckett, Minnesota |
| 1992 | Toronto Blue Jays | Cito Gaston | 4–2 | Oakland Athletics | Tony La Russa | Roberto Alomar, Toronto |
| 1993 | Toronto Blue Jays | Cito Gaston | 4–2 | Chicago White Sox | Gene Lamont | Dave Stewart, Toronto |
| 1994 | No Series due to a players' strike. | No Series due to a players' strike. | No Series due to a players' strike. | No Series due to a players' strike. | No Series due to a players' strike. | No Series due to a players' strike. |
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | Mike Hargrove | 4–2 | Seattle Mariners | Lou Piniella | Orel Hershiser, Cleveland |
| 1996 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–1 | Baltimore Orioles$^†$ | Davey Johnson | Bernie Williams, New York |
| 1997 | Cleveland Indians | Mike Hargrove | 4–2 | Baltimore Orioles | Davey Johnson | Marquis Grissom, Cleveland |
| 1998 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–2 | Cleveland Indians | Mike Hargrove | David Wells, New York |
| 1999 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–1 | Boston Red Sox$^†$ | Jimy Williams | Orlando Hernández, New York |
| 2000 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–2 | Seattle Mariners$^†$ | Lou Piniella | David Justice, New York |
| 2001 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–1 | Seattle Mariners | Lou Piniella | Andy Pettitte, New York |
| 2002 | Anaheim Angels$^†$ | Mike Scioscia | 4–1 | Minnesota Twins | Ron Gardenhire | Adam Kennedy, Anaheim |
| 2003 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | 4–3 | Boston Red Sox$^†$ | Grady Little | Mariano Rivera, New York |
| 2004 | Boston Red Sox$^†$ | Terry Francona | 4–3 | New York Yankees | Joe Torre | David Ortiz, Boston |
| 2005 | Chicago White Sox | Ozzie Guillén | 4–1 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Mike Scioscia | Paul Konerko, Chicago |
| 2006 | Detroit Tigers$^†$ | Jim Leyland | 4–0 | Oakland Athletics | Ken Macha | Plácido Polanco, Detroit |
| 2007 | Boston Red Sox | Terry Francona | 4–3 | Cleveland Indians | Eric Wedge | Josh Beckett, Boston |
| 2008 | Tampa Bay Rays | Joe Maddon | 4–3 | Boston Red Sox$^†$ | Terry Francona | Matt Garza, Tampa Bay |
| 2009 | New York Yankees | Joe Girardi | 4–2 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | Mike Scioscia | CC Sabathia, New York |
| 2010 | Texas Rangers | Ron Washington | 4–2 | New York Yankees$^†$ | Joe Girardi | Josh Hamilton, Texas |
| 2011 | Texas Rangers | Ron Washington | 4–2 | Detroit Tigers | Jim Leyland | Nelson Cruz, Texas |
| 2012 | Detroit Tigers | Jim Leyland | 4–0 | New York Yankees | Joe Girardi | Delmon Young, Detroit |
| 2013 | Boston Red Sox | John Farrell | 4–2 | Detroit Tigers | Jim Leyland | Koji Uehara, Boston |
| 2014 | Kansas City Royals$^†$ | Ned Yost | 4–0 | Baltimore Orioles | Buck Showalter | Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City |
| 2015 | Kansas City Royals | Ned Yost | 4–2 | Toronto Blue Jays | John Gibbons | Alcides Escobar, Kansas City |
| 2016 | Cleveland Indians | Terry Francona | 4–1 | Toronto Blue Jays$^†$ | John Gibbons | Andrew Miller, Cleveland |
| 2017 | Houston Astros | A. J. Hinch | 4–3 | New York Yankees$^†$ | Joe Girardi | Justin Verlander, Houston |
| 2018 | Boston Red Sox | Alex Cora | 4–1 | Houston Astros | A. J. Hinch | Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston |
| 2019 | Houston Astros | A. J. Hinch | 4–2 | New York Yankees | Aaron Boone | Jose Altuve, Houston |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Rays | Kevin Cash | 4–3 | Houston Astros $^†$ | Dusty Baker | Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay |
| 2021 | Houston Astros | Dusty Baker | 4–2 | Boston Red Sox$^†$ | Alex Cora | Yordan Alvarez, Houston |
| 2022 | Houston Astros | Dusty Baker | 4–0 | New York Yankees | Aaron Boone | Jeremy Peña, Houston |
| 2023 | Texas Rangers$^†$ | Bruce Bochy | 4–3 | Houston Astros | Dusty Baker | Adolis García, Texas |
| 2024 | New York Yankees | Aaron Boone | 4–1 | Cleveland Guardians | Stephen Vogt | Giancarlo Stanton, New York |

### Appearances by 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 |
| 7 | Detroit Tigers | 3 | 4 | .429 | 2012 | 2013 | 18 | 15 | .545 |
| 7 | Houston Astros | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2022 | 2023 | 23 | 19 | .548 |
| 7 | Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 5 | .286 | 1993 | 2016 | 16 | 24 | .400 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Angels | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2002 | 2009 | 13 | 19 | .406 |
| 6 | Cleveland Guardians | 3 | 3 | .500 | 2016 | 2024 | 18 | 17 | .514 |
| 5 | Minnesota Twins | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1991 | 2002 | 9 | 12 | .429 |
| 3 | Chicago White Sox | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2005 | 2005 | 7 | 8 | .467 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 0 | 3 | .000 | Never | 2001 | 5 | 12 | .294 |
| 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 |

### Years of appearance

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) |
| 19 | New York Yankees | 12 | 7 | .632 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024 |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | 6 | 6 | .500 | 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2021 |
| 11 | Athletics | 6 | 5 | .545 | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2006 |
| 10 | Baltimore Orioles | 5 | 5 | .500 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014 |
| 8 | Kansas City Royals | 4 | 4 | .500 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 2014, 2015 |
| 7 | Houston Astros | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| 7 | Detroit Tigers | 3 | 4 | .429 | 1972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| 6 | Cleveland Guardians | 3 | 3 | .500 | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2016, 2024 |
| 3 | Texas Rangers | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 2010, 2011, 2023 |
| 7 | Toronto Blue Jays | 2 | 5 | .286 | 1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016 |
| 5 | Minnesota Twins | 2 | 3 | .400 | 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Rays | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2008, 2020 |
| 6 | Los Angeles Angels | 1 | 5 | .167 | 1979, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2005, 2009 |
| 3 | Chicago White Sox | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1983, 1993, 2005 |
| 1 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1982 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 0 | 3 | .000 | 1995, 2000, 2001 |

### Recurring matchups

| Count | Matchup | Record | Years |
| 4 | Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 3–1 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 |
| 3 | Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees | Astros, 3–0 | 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 2–1 | 1999, 2003, 2004 |
| 3 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox vs. Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1975, 1988, 1990 |
| 2 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins | Orioles, 2–0 | 1969, 1970 |
| 2 | Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics | Tied, 1–1 | 1972, 2006 |
| 2 | Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays | Royals, 2–0 | 1985, 2015 |
| 2 | New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners | Yankees, 2–0 | 2000, 2001 |
| 2 | Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees | Yankees, 2–0 | 1998, 2024 |
| 2 | Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays | Tied, 1–1 | 1989, 1992 |
| 2 | Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros | Tied, 1–1 | 2018, 2021 |