American League Championship Series facts for kids

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

The American League Championship Series (ALCS), also known as the American League Pennant, 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-present) 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	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver	3–0	Minnesota Twins	Martin, BillyBilly Martin
1970	Baltimore Orioles	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver	3–0	Minnesota Twins	Rigney, BillBill Rigney
1971	Baltimore Orioles	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver	3–0	Oakland Athletics	Williams, DickDick Williams
1972	Oakland Athletics	Williams, DickDick Williams	3–2	Detroit Tigers	Martin, BillyBilly Martin
1973	Oakland Athletics	Williams, DickDick Williams	3–2	Baltimore Orioles	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver
1974	Oakland Athletics	Dark, AlvinAlvin Dark	3–1	Baltimore Orioles	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver
1975	Boston Red Sox	Johnson, DarrellDarrell Johnson	3–0	Oakland Athletics	Dark, AlvinAlvin Dark
1976	New York Yankees	Martin, BillyBilly Martin	3–2	Kansas City Royals	Herzog, WhiteyWhitey Herzog
1977	New York Yankees	Martin, BillyBilly Martin	3–2	Kansas City Royals	Herzog, WhiteyWhitey Herzog
1978	New York Yankees	Lemon, BobBob Lemon	3–1	Kansas City Royals	Herzog, WhiteyWhitey Herzog
1979	Baltimore Orioles	Weaver, EarlEarl Weaver	3–1	California Angels	Fregosi, JimJim Fregosi
1980	Kansas City Royals	Frey, JimJim Frey	3–0	New York Yankees	Howser, DickDick Howser	Frank White, Kansas City
1981	New York Yankees	Lemon, BobBob Lemon	3–0	Oakland Athletics	Martin, BillyBilly Martin	Graig Nettles, New York
1982	Milwaukee Brewers	Kuenn, HarveyHarvey Kuenn	3–2	California Angels	Mauch, GeneGene Mauch	Fred Lynn, California*
1983	Baltimore Orioles	Altobelli, JoeJoe Altobelli	3–1	Chicago White Sox	La Russa, TonyTony La Russa	Mike Boddicker, Baltimore
1984	Detroit Tigers	Anderson, SparkySparky Anderson	3–0	Kansas City Royals	Howser, DickDick Howser	Kirk Gibson, Detroit
1985	Kansas City Royals	Howser, DickDick Howser	4–3	Toronto Blue Jays	Cox, BobbyBobby Cox	George Brett, Kansas City
1986	Boston Red Sox	McNamara, JohnJohn McNamara	4–3	California Angels	Mauch, GeneGene Mauch	Marty Barrett, Boston
1987	Minnesota Twins	Kelly, TomTom Kelly	4–1	Detroit Tigers	Anderson, SparkySparky Anderson	Gary Gaetti, Minnesota
1988	Oakland Athletics	La Russa, TonyTony La Russa	4–0	Boston Red Sox	Morgan, JoeJoe Morgan	Dennis Eckersley, Oakland
1989	Oakland Athletics	La Russa, TonyTony La Russa	4–1	Toronto Blue Jays	Gaston, CitoCito Gaston	Rickey Henderson, Oakland
1990	Oakland Athletics	La Russa, TonyTony La Russa	4–0	Boston Red Sox	Morgan, JoeJoe Morgan	Dave Stewart, Oakland
1991	Minnesota Twins	Kelly, TomTom Kelly	4–1	Toronto Blue Jays	Gaston, CitoCito Gaston	Kirby Puckett, Minnesota
1992	Toronto Blue Jays	Gaston, CitoCito Gaston	4–2	Oakland Athletics	La Russa, TonyTony La Russa	Roberto Alomar, Toronto
1993	Toronto Blue Jays	Gaston, CitoCito Gaston	4–2	Chicago White Sox	Lamont, GeneGene Lamont	Dave Stewart, Toronto
1994	No Series due to a players' strike.
1995	Cleveland Indians	Hargrove, MikeMike Hargrove	4–2	Seattle Mariners	Piniella, LouLou Piniella	Orel Hershiser, Cleveland
1996	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–1	Baltimore Orioles	Johnson, DaveyDavey Johnson	Bernie Williams, New York
1997	Cleveland Indians	Hargrove, MikeMike Hargrove	4–2	Baltimore Orioles	Johnson, DaveyDavey Johnson	Marquis Grissom, Cleveland
1998	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–2	Cleveland Indians	Hargrove, MikeMike Hargrove	David Wells, New York
1999	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–1	Boston Red Sox	Williams, JimyJimy Williams	Orlando Hernández, New York
2000	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–2	Seattle Mariners	Piniella, LouLou Piniella	David Justice, New York
2001	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–1	Seattle Mariners	Piniella, LouLou Piniella	Andy Pettitte, New York
2002	Anaheim Angels	Scioscia, MikeMike Scioscia	4–1	Minnesota Twins	Gardenhire, RonRon Gardenhire	Adam Kennedy, Anaheim
2003	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	4–3	Boston Red Sox	Little, GradyGrady Little	Mariano Rivera, New York
2004	Boston Red Sox	Francona, TerryTerry Francona	4–3	New York Yankees	Torre, JoeJoe Torre	David Ortiz, Boston
2005	Chicago White Sox	Guillén, OzzieOzzie Guillén	4–1	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	Scioscia, MikeMike Scioscia	Paul Konerko, Chicago
2006	Detroit Tigers	Leyland, JimJim Leyland	4–0	Oakland Athletics	Macha, KenKen Macha	Plácido Polanco, Detroit
2007	Boston Red Sox	Francona, TerryTerry Francona	4–3	Cleveland Indians	Wedge, EricEric Wedge	Josh Beckett, Boston
2008	Tampa Bay Rays	Maddon, JoeJoe Maddon	4–3	Boston Red Sox	Francona, TerryTerry Francona	Matt Garza, Tampa Bay
2009	New York Yankees	Girardi, JoeJoe Girardi	4–2	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	Scioscia, MikeMike Scioscia	CC Sabathia, New York
2010	Texas Rangers	Washington, RonRon Washington	4–2	New York Yankees	Girardi, JoeJoe Girardi	Josh Hamilton, Texas
2011	Texas Rangers	Washington, RonRon Washington	4–2	Detroit Tigers	Leyland, JimJim Leyland	Nelson Cruz, Texas
2012	Detroit Tigers	Leyland, JimJim Leyland	4–0	New York Yankees	Girardi, JoeJoe Girardi	Delmon Young, Detroit
2013	Boston Red Sox	Farrell, JohnJohn Farrell	4–2	Detroit Tigers	Leyland, JimJim Leyland	Koji Uehara, Boston
2014	Kansas City Royals	Yost, NedNed Yost	4–0	Baltimore Orioles	Showalter, BuckBuck Showalter	Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City
2015	Kansas City Royals	Yost, NedNed Yost	4–2	Toronto Blue Jays	Gibbons, JohnJohn Gibbons	Alcides Escobar, Kansas City
2016	Cleveland Indians	Francona, TerryTerry Francona	4–1	Toronto Blue Jays	Gibbons, JohnJohn Gibbons	Andrew Miller, Cleveland
2017	Houston Astros	Hinch, A. J.A. J. Hinch	4–3	New York Yankees	Girardi, JoeJoe Girardi	Justin Verlander, Houston
2018	Boston Red Sox	Cora, AlexAlex Cora	4–1	Houston Astros	Hinch, A. J.A. J. Hinch	Jackie Bradley Jr., Boston
2019	Houston Astros	Hinch, A. J.A. J. Hinch	4–2	New York Yankees	Boone, AaronAaron Boone	José Altuve, Houston
2020	Tampa Bay Rays	Cash, KevinKevin Cash	4–3	Houston Astros	Baker, DustyDusty Baker	Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay
2021	Houston Astros	Baker, DustyDusty Baker	4–2	Boston Red Sox	Cora, AlexAlex Cora	Yordan Álvarez, Houston
2022	Houston Astros	Baker, DustyDusty Baker	4–0	New York Yankees	Boone, AaronAaron Boone	Jeremy Peña, Houston
2023	Texas Rangers	Bochy, BruceBruce Bochy	4–3	Houston Astros	Baker, DustyDusty Baker	Adolis García, Texas

Appearances by team

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.

Recurring matchups

See also

In Spanish: Serie de Campeonato de la Liga Americana para niños

• List of American League pennant winners
• List of American League Wild Card winners
• American League Division Series
• National League Championship Series