{{Infobox tournament
| name =
| image = DSCN0387 David Ortiz jumps into home.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz jumps onto home plate after winning Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series at Fenway Park
| sport = Baseball
| month_played = October
| established = 1969
| administrator = Major League Baseball
| format = Best-of-seven series
| teams = 2
| qualifier_for = World Series
| most_champs = New York Yankees(12 titles)
| defending_champs = Toronto Blue Jays(3rd title)
| broadcast = {{unbulleted list
| United States:
| Fox/FS1 (TV, odd-numbered years)
| TBS/TruTV (TV, even-numbered years)
| ESPN Radio
| Canada:
| Sportsnet
}}
| current = 2025 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.http://fielderschoice.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/overjoyed/ Dave (Tampa Bay Rays fan), "Overjoyed!", Fielder's Choice Baseball Card Blog, April 10, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2009 (including photo of trophy). 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 websiteLeague Championship Series Most Valuable Players (MLB.com/News/Awards/History/ ). MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
Results
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
|+Key
!scope="row"|
|Wild card
|-
!scope="row"|
|MVP did not play for winning team
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Winning team
! scope="col" | Manager
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Games
! scope="col" | Losing team
! scope="col" | Manager
! scope="col" | Series MVP
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1969
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Minnesota Twins ||
| rowspan="11" bgcolor=lightgrey|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1970
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Minnesota Twins ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1971
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Oakland Athletics ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1972
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 3–2
| Detroit Tigers ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1973
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 3–2
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1974
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 3–1
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1975
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Oakland Athletics ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1976
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 3–2
| Kansas City Royals ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1977
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 3–2
| Kansas City Royals ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1978
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 3–1
| Kansas City Royals ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1979
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|align="center"| 3–1
| California Angels ||
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1980
| Kansas City Royals ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| New York Yankees ||
| Frank White, Kansas City
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1981
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Oakland Athletics ||
| Graig Nettles, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1982
| Milwaukee Brewers ||
|align="center"| 3–2
| California Angels ||
| Fred Lynn, California*
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1983
| Baltimore Orioles ||
|align="center"| 3–1
| Chicago White Sox ||
| Mike Boddicker, Baltimore
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1984
| Detroit Tigers ||
|align="center"| 3–0
| Kansas City Royals ||
| Kirk Gibson, Detroit
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1985
| Kansas City Royals ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
| George Brett, Kansas City
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1986
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| California Angels ||
| Marty Barrett, Boston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1987
| Minnesota Twins ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Detroit Tigers ||
| Gary Gaetti, Minnesota
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1988
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Dennis Eckersley, Oakland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1989
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
| Rickey Henderson, Oakland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1990
| Oakland Athletics ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Dave Stewart, Oakland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1991
| Minnesota Twins ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
| Kirby Puckett, Minnesota
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1992
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Oakland Athletics ||
| Roberto Alomar, Toronto
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1993
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Chicago White Sox ||
| Dave Stewart, Toronto
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1994
| colspan="6" align="center" |No Series due to a players' strike.
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1995
| Cleveland Indians ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Seattle Mariners ||
| Orel Hershiser, Cleveland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1996
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Baltimore Orioles ||
| Bernie Williams, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1997
| Cleveland Indians ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Baltimore Orioles ||
| Marquis Grissom, Cleveland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1998
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Cleveland Indians ||
| David Wells, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1999
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Orlando Hernández, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2000
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Seattle Mariners ||
| David Justice, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2001
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Seattle Mariners ||
| Andy Pettitte, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2002
| Anaheim Angels ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Minnesota Twins ||
| Adam Kennedy, Anaheim
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2003
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Mariano Rivera, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2004
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| New York Yankees ||
| David Ortiz, Boston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2005
| Chicago White Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ||
| Paul Konerko, Chicago
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2006
| Detroit Tigers ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| Oakland Athletics ||
| Plácido Polanco, Detroit
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2007
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Cleveland Indians ||
| Josh Beckett, Boston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2008
| Tampa Bay Rays ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Matt Garza, Tampa Bay
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2009
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ||
| CC Sabathia, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2010
| Texas Rangers ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| New York Yankees ||
| Josh Hamilton, Texas
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2011
| Texas Rangers ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Detroit Tigers ||
| Nelson Cruz, Texas
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012
| Detroit Tigers ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| New York Yankees ||
| Delmon Young, Detroit
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Detroit Tigers ||
| Koji Uehara, Boston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014
| Kansas City Royals ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| Baltimore Orioles ||
| Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015
| Kansas City Royals ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
| Alcides Escobar, Kansas City
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016
| Cleveland Indians ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
| Andrew Miller, Cleveland
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017
| Houston Astros ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| New York Yankees ||
| Justin Verlander, Houston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2018
| Boston Red Sox ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Houston Astros ||
| Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019
| Houston Astros ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| New York Yankees ||
| Jose Altuve, Houston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2020
| Tampa Bay Rays ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Houston Astros ||
| Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021
| Houston Astros ||
|align="center"| 4–2
| Boston Red Sox ||
| Yordan Alvarez, Houston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2022
|Houston Astros ||
|align="center"| 4–0
| New York Yankees ||
| Jeremy Peña, Houston
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2023
|Texas Rangers ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Houston Astros ||
| Adolis García, Texas
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2024
| New York Yankees ||
|align="center"| 4–1
| Cleveland Guardians ||
| Giancarlo Stanton, New York
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2025
| Toronto Blue Jays ||
|align="center"| 4–3
| Seattle Mariners ||
| Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto
|}
Appearances by team
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
|-
!Apps
!Team
!Wins
!Losses
!Win %
!Most recentwin
!Most recentappearance
!Gameswon
!Gameslost
!Gamewin %
|-
||19 || style="text-align:left;" |New York Yankees||12||7||||2024||2024||54||45||
|-
||12|| style="text-align:left;" |Boston Red Sox||6||6||||2018||2021||32||36||
|-
||11|| style="text-align:left;" |Athletics||6||5||||1990||2006||23||23||
|-
||10|| style="text-align:left;" |Baltimore Orioles||5||5||||1983||2014||21||20||
|-
||8|| style="text-align:left;" |Kansas City Royals||4||4||||2015||2015||20||17||
|-
||8|| style="text-align:left;" |Toronto Blue Jays||3||5||||2025||2025||20||27||
|-
||7|| style="text-align:left;" |Detroit Tigers||3||4||||2012||2013||18||15||
|-
||7|| style="text-align:left;" |Houston Astros||4||3||||2022||2023||23||19||
|-
||6|| style="text-align:left;" |Los Angeles Angels||1||5||||2002||2009||13||19||
|-
||6|| style="text-align:left;" |Cleveland Indians||3||3||||2016||2024||18||17||
|-
||5|| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota Twins||2||3||||1991||2002||9||12||
|-
||4|| style="text-align:left;" |Seattle Mariners||0||4||||Never||2025||8||16||
|-
||3|| style="text-align:left;" |Chicago White Sox||1||2||||2005||2005||7||8||
|-
||3|| style="text-align:left;" |Texas Rangers||3||0||||2023||2023||12||7||
|-
||2|| style="text-align:left;" |Tampa Bay Rays||2||0||||2020||2020||8||6||
|-
||1|| style="text-align:left;" |Milwaukee Brewers ||1||0||||1982||1982||3||2||
|}
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.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
!scope="col"|
!scope="col"|Team
!scope="col"|Wins
!scope="col"|Losses
!scope="col"|Win %
!scope="col" class="unsortable"| Season(s)
|-
||19|| style="text-align:left;" |New York Yankees||12||7|||| align="left" | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024
|-
||12|| style="text-align:left;" |Boston Red Sox||6||6|||| align="left" | 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2021
|-
||11|| style="text-align:left;" |Athletics||6||5|||| align="left" | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2006
|-
||10|| style="text-align:left;" |Baltimore Orioles||5||5|||| align="left" | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1996, 1997, 2014
|-
||8|| style="text-align:left;" |Kansas City Royals||4||4|||| align="left" | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 2014, 2015
|-
||7|| style="text-align:left;" |Houston Astros||4||3|||| align="left" |2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
|-
||8|| style="text-align:left;" |Toronto Blue Jays||3||5|||| align="left" |1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015, 2016, 2025
|-
||7|| style="text-align:left;" |Detroit Tigers||3||4|||| align="left" | 1972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013
|-
||6|| style="text-align:left;" |Cleveland Indians||3||3|||| align="left" | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2016, 2024
|-
||3|| style="text-align:left;" |Texas Rangers||3||0|||| align="left" | 2010, 2011, 2023
|-
||5|| style="text-align:left;" |Minnesota Twins||2||3|||| align="left" | 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 2002
|-
||2|| style="text-align:left;" |Tampa Bay Rays||2||0|||| align="left" |2008, 2020
|-
||6|| style="text-align:left;" |Los Angeles Angels||1||5|||| align="left" | 1979, 1982, 1986, 2002, 2005, 2009
|-
||3|| style="text-align:left;" |Chicago White Sox||1||2|||| align="left" | 1983, 1993, 2005
|-
||1|| style="text-align:left;" |Milwaukee Brewers ||1||0|||| align="left" |1982
|-
||4|| style="text-align:left;" |Seattle Mariners||0||4|||| align="left" | 1995, 2000, 2001, 2025
|}
Recurring matchups
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"
|-
! Count
! Matchup
! Record
! Years
|-
|align="center"| 4
| Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees
| Yankees, 3–1
| 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980
|-
|align="center"| 3
| Baltimore Orioles vs. Athletics
| Athletics, 2–1
| 1971, 1973, 1974
|-
|align="center"| 3
| Boston Red Sox vs. Athletics
| Athletics, 2–1
| 1975, 1988, 1990
|-
|align="center"| 3
| Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
| Yankees, 2–1
| 1999, 2003, 2004
|-
|align="center"| 3
| Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees
| Astros, 3–0
| 2017, 2019, 2022
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins
| Orioles, 2–0
| 1969, 1970
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays
| Tied, 1–1
| 1989, 1992
|-
|align="center"| 2
| New York Yankees vs. Seattle Mariners
| Yankees, 2–0
| 2000, 2001
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics
| Tied, 1–1
| 1972, 2006
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays
| Royals, 2–0
| 1985, 2015
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros
| Tied, 1–1
| 2018, 2021
|-
|align="center"| 2
| Cleveland Guardians vs. New York Yankees
| Yankees, 2–0
| 1998, 2024
|}
See also
- List of American League pennant winners
- List of American League Wild Card winners
- American League Division Series
- National League Championship Series
Notes
References
External links
- League Championship Series History at Baseball Almanac
- World Series and MLB Playoffs at Baseball-Reference.com
- Post-Season Games Directory at Retrosheet