American League Championship Series


The American League Championship Series is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two American League Division Series. 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 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 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, 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. The winners of that round then advanced to the best-of-seven ALCS. In 2012, the playoffs were expanded again so that two wild card teams face off in a one-game wild card round to determine which team advances to the division series, with the playoffs then continuing as it had before 2012 after the end of the wild card round. This is the system currently in use.
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, unless that team happens to be the Wild Card team. In that case, the other team gets home field advantage, because by rule the Wild Card team is never allowed home field advantage in a Division Series or LCS. In the event that both teams have identical records in the regular season, 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.
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 and an ALCS. Every current American League franchise has appeared in the ALCS.

Championship Trophy

The William Harridge Trophy is awarded to the ALCS champion. The trophy's namesake comes from the American League president from 1931 to 1959.

Most Valuable Player Award

The Lee MacPhail Most Valuable Player 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:
Click the link on the far left for detailed information on that series.
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wcWild-card team
*MVP did not play for winning team

YearWinnerManagerLoserManagerRecordSeries MVPTV
Network
1969Baltimore OriolesMinnesota Twins3–0 NBC
1970Baltimore OriolesMinnesota Twins3–0 NBC
1971Baltimore OriolesOakland Athletics3–0 NBC
1972Oakland AthleticsDetroit Tigers3–2 NBC
1973Oakland AthleticsBaltimore Orioles3–2 NBC
1974Oakland AthleticsBaltimore Orioles3–1 NBC
1975Boston Red SoxOakland Athletics3–0 NBC
1976New York YankeesKansas City Royals3–2 ABC
1977New York YankeesKansas City Royals3–2 NBC
1978New York YankeesKansas City Royals3–1 ABC
1979Baltimore OriolesCalifornia Angels3–1 NBC
1980Kansas City RoyalsNew York Yankees3–0Frank White, Kansas CityABC
1981New York YankeesOakland Athletics3–0Graig Nettles, New YorkNBC
1982Milwaukee BrewersCalifornia Angels3–2Fred Lynn, California*ABC
1983Baltimore OriolesChicago White Sox3–1Mike Boddicker, BaltimoreNBC
1984Detroit TigersKansas City Royals3–0Kirk Gibson, DetroitABC
1985Kansas City RoyalsToronto Blue Jays4–3George Brett, Kansas CityNBC
1986Boston Red SoxCalifornia Angels4–3Marty Barrett, BostonABC
1987Minnesota TwinsDetroit Tigers4–1Gary Gaetti, MinnesotaNBC
1988Oakland AthleticsBoston Red Sox4–0Dennis Eckersley, OaklandABC
1989Oakland AthleticsToronto Blue Jays4–1Rickey Henderson, OaklandNBC
1990Oakland AthleticsBoston Red Sox4–0Dave Stewart, OaklandCBS
1991Minnesota TwinsToronto Blue Jays4–1Kirby Puckett, MinnesotaCBS
1992Toronto Blue JaysOakland Athletics4–2Roberto Alomar, TorontoCBS
1993Toronto Blue JaysChicago White Sox4–2Dave Stewart, TorontoCBS
1994Series cancelled——————
1995Cleveland IndiansSeattle Mariners4–2Orel Hershiser, ClevelandABC/NBC
1996New York YankeesBaltimore Orioles 4–1Bernie Williams, New YorkNBC
1997Cleveland IndiansBaltimore Orioles4–2Marquis Grissom, ClevelandFox
1998New York YankeesCleveland Indians4–2David Wells, New YorkNBC
1999New York YankeesBoston Red Sox 4–1Orlando Hernández, New YorkFox
2000New York YankeesSeattle Mariners 4–2David Justice, New YorkNBC
2001New York YankeesSeattle Mariners4–1Andy Pettitte, New YorkFox
2002Anaheim Angels Minnesota Twins4–1Adam Kennedy, AnaheimFox
2003New York YankeesBoston Red Sox 4–3Mariano Rivera, New YorkFox
2004Boston Red Sox New York Yankees4–3David Ortiz, BostonFox
2005Chicago White SoxLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim4–1Paul Konerko, ChicagoFox
2006Detroit Tigers Oakland Athletics4–0Plácido Polanco, DetroitFox
2007Boston Red SoxCleveland Indians4–3Josh Beckett, BostonFox
2008Tampa Bay RaysBoston Red Sox 4–3Matt Garza, Tampa BayTBS
2009New York YankeesLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim4–2CC Sabathia, New YorkFox
2010Texas RangersNew York Yankees 4–2Josh Hamilton, TexasTBS
2011Texas RangersDetroit Tigers4–2Nelson Cruz, TexasFox
2012Detroit TigersNew York Yankees4–0Delmon Young, DetroitTBS
2013Boston Red SoxDetroit Tigers4–2Koji Uehara, BostonFox
2014Kansas City Royals Baltimore Orioles4–0Lorenzo Cain, Kansas CityTBS
2015Kansas City RoyalsToronto Blue Jays4–2Alcides Escobar, Kansas CityFox/FS1
2016Cleveland IndiansToronto Blue Jays 4-1Andrew Miller, ClevelandTBS
2017 Houston Astros New York Yankees 4-3Justin Verlander, HoustonFS1/Fox
2018 Boston Red Sox Houston Astros4-1Jackie Bradley Jr., BostonTBS
2019 Houston Astros New York Yankees4-2José Altuve, HoustonFS1/Fox

ALCS appearances by team

AppsTeamWinsLossesWin %Most recent
win		Most recent
appearance		Games
won		Games
lost		Game
win %
17New York Yankees116200920195040
11Oakland Athletics65199020062323
11Boston Red Sox65201820183032
10Baltimore Orioles55198320142120
8Kansas City Royals44201520152017
7Detroit Tigers34201220131815
7Toronto Blue Jays25199320161624
6Los Angeles Angels15200220091319
5Cleveland Indians32201620161713
5Minnesota Twins2319912002912
3Houston Astros212019201999
3Chicago White Sox122005200578
3Seattle Mariners03-2001512
2Texas Rangers202011201184
1Tampa Bay Rays102008200843
1Milwaukee Brewers101982198232

Years of appearance - ALCS

In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Season" column, bold years indicate winning ALCS appearances.
TeamWinsLossesWin %Season
17New York Yankees1161976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019
11Oakland Athletics651971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2006
11Boston Red Sox651975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2018
10Baltimore Orioles551969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014
8Kansas City Royals441976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 2014, 2015
7Detroit Tigers341972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013
7Toronto Blue Jays251985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016
6Los Angeles Angels151979, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2005, 2009
5Cleveland Indians321995, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2016
5Minnesota Twins231969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002
3Houston Astros212017, 2018, 2019
3Chicago White Sox121983, 1993, 2005
3Seattle Mariners031995, 2000, 2001
2Texas Rangers202010, 2011
1Tampa Bay Rays102008
1Milwaukee Brewers101982

Recurring matchups