American League Championship Series facts for kids
The American League Championship Series (ALCS), also known as the American League Pennant, is an exciting baseball playoff. It's a "best-of-seven" series, meaning a team needs to win four games to win the series. The ALCS is one of the final rounds in Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. The team that wins the ALCS gets the American League pennant. They then go on to play in the World Series, which is MLB's championship event. There, they face the winner of the National League's Championship Series. The ALCS started in 1969 as a "best-of-five" series. This means teams needed to win three games. In 1985, it changed to the current "best-of-seven" format.
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History of the ALCS
Before 1969, the American League champion was simply the team with the best win-loss record at the end of the regular season. There was only one special playoff game ever held before 1969, in 1948, when two teams tied.
The ALCS officially began in 1969. This was when the American League split into two groups: the East and West divisions. The winners of these two divisions would then play each other in the ALCS. This first ALCS was a "best-of-five" series. In 1985, the rules changed, and it became a "best-of-seven" series, which is what it is today.
In 1981, there was a special "division series" because a players' strike split the season.
In 1994, the league changed again, creating three divisions. The three division winners and a special "Wild Card" team would play in an earlier playoff round called the American League Division Series (ALDS). The winners of the ALDS would then move on to the ALCS. However, a players' strike in 1994 meant no playoffs were played that year. So, this new format officially started in 1995. Over time, the playoffs grew even more. In 2012, a second Wild Card team was added, and in 2022, a third Wild Card team joined the playoffs.
How Games Are Played
Since the ALCS became a "best-of-seven" series, the games follow a 2–3–2 pattern. This means:
- The team with the better regular season record gets to play Games 1, 2, 6, and 7 at their home stadium. This is called "home field advantage."
- The other team plays Games 3, 4, and 5 at their home stadium.
The series ends as soon as one team wins four games. Since 1998, the team with the best regular season record usually gets home field advantage. However, a division champion always gets home advantage over a Wild Card team. If two teams have the same record, the team that won more games when they played each other during the regular season gets the advantage.
Managers and Teams with Many Appearances
Some managers have led their teams to the ALCS many times. Joe Torre and Dusty Baker hold the record for most consecutive ALCS appearances by a manager, each leading their teams to four in a row. The Houston Astros are the only team in the American League to have made seven ALCS appearances in a row (from 2017 to the present).
The Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros are special because they have played in both the ALCS and the National League Championship Series (NLCS). The Astros are the only team to have won both an NLCS (in 2005) and multiple ALCS titles (in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022). Every team currently in the American League has played in the ALCS at least once.
Championship Trophy
The team that wins the ALCS is awarded the William Harridge Trophy. This trophy is named after Will Harridge, who was the president of the American League for many years, from 1931 to 1959.
Most Valuable Player Award
The Lee MacPhail Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the best player in the ALCS. There isn't an MVP award for the earlier Division Series games.
The National League started giving out an LCS MVP award in 1977. The American League started its own LCS MVP award a few years later, in 1980. You can find the winners listed in the League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award article and on the MLB website.
Appearances by Team
This table shows how many times each team has appeared in the ALCS, how many times they've won, and their winning percentage.
| Apps | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Most recent win |
Most recent appearance |
Games won |
Games lost |
Game win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | New York Yankees | 11 | 7 | .611 | 2009 | 2022 | 50 | 44 | .532 |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | 6 | 6 | .500 | 2018 | 2021 | 32 | 36 | .471 |
| 11 | Oakland 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 |
| 5 | Cleveland Guardians | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2016 | 2016 | 17 | 13 | .567 |
| 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
This table lists the years each team has appeared in the ALCS. Years in bold show when they won the series.
| Apps | Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | New York Yankees | 11 | 7 | .611 | 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| 12 | Boston Red Sox | 6 | 6 | .500 | 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2021 |
| 11 | Oakland 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 |
| 5 | Cleveland Guardians | 3 | 2 | .600 | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2016 |
| 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
Some teams have faced each other multiple times in the ALCS. Here are some of the most common 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. Oakland Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1971, 1973, 1974 |
| 3 | Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland Athletics | Athletics, 2–1 | 1975, 1988, 1990 |
| 2 | Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins | Orioles, 2–0 | 1969, 1970 |
| 2 | Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland 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 | Oakland Athletics vs. Toronto Blue Jays | Tied, 1–1 | 1989, 1992 |
| 2 | Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros | Tied, 1–1 | 2018, 2021 |
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
