American League West

AL West

League	American League
Sport	Major League Baseball
Founded	1969
No. of teams	5
Most recent champion(s)	Oakland Athletics (15th title)
Most titles	Oakland Athletics (15)

The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division will have five teams in the upcoming 2013 season, but had four teams from 1994 to 2012, and had as many as seven teams before the 1994 realignment. Although its teams currently only reside along the west coast and in Texas, historically the division has had teams as far east as Chicago. From 1998 (when the NL West expanded to five teams) to 2012, it was the only MLB division with only four teams. The current champion of this division is the Oakland Athletics. In 2013, the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central to the AL West. This gives all six MLB divisions an equal five teams.

Division membership

Current members

• Houston Astros - Joined in 2013; formerly from the NL West (1969-1993) and NL Central (1994-2012)
• Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Founding member (as the California Angels)
• Oakland Athletics – Founding member
• Seattle Mariners – Joined in 1977 as an expansion team
• Texas Rangers – Joined in 1972; formerly of the AL East (as the Washington Senators)

Former members

• Chicago White Sox – Founding member; moved to the AL Central in 1994
• Kansas City Royals – Founding member; moved to the AL Central in 1994
• Minnesota Twins – Founding member; moved to the AL Central in 1994
• Milwaukee Brewers – Founding member (as Seattle Pilots); moved to the AL East in 1972, then to the AL Central in 1994. Eventually moved to the NL Central in 1998.

Stadiums

Team	City	Stadium	Capacity
Houston Astros	Houston, Texas	Minute Maid Park	40,981
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	Anaheim, California	Angel Stadium of Anaheim	45,957
Seattle Mariners	Seattle, Washington	Safeco Field	47,476
Oakland Athletics	Oakland, California	O.co Coliseum	35,067
Texas Rangers	Arlington, Texas	Rangers Ballpark in Arlington	48,194

The Division Members

Place cursor over year for division champ or World Series team.

Years
AL West Division
69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04
California Angels																												Anaheim Angels
Oakland Athletics
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins
Seattle Pilots	Milwaukee Brewers
			Texas Rangers
								Seattle Mariners
AL West Division
05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners
								Houston Astros
Team not in division      Division Won World Series      Division Won AL Championship

^A Creation of division due to 1969 expansion, Kansas City and Seattle added.

^B Seattle franchise moved to Milwaukee, becoming the Brewers

^C Washington Senators moved to Dallas–Fort Worth, became Texas Rangers and switched divisions with Milwaukee, which moved to the AL East

^D Seattle added in the 1977 league expansion

^E Chicago, Kansas City, and Minnesota moved into the newly-created AL Central due to the 1994 realignment.

^F 1997, California Angels become Anaheim Angels. 2005, Anaheim Angels become Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

^G Houston switches leagues from the NL Central

AL West regular season champions – listed by year

• Team names link to the season in which each team played

AL West champions by year
Year	Winner	Record	Win %	Playoffs
1969	Minnesota Twins	97–65	.599	Lost in ALCS to Baltimore, 3–0
1970	Minnesota Twins	98–64	.605	Lost in ALCS to Baltimore, 3–0
1971	Oakland Athletics	101–61	.627	Lost in ALCS to Baltimore, 3–0
1972	Oakland Athletics	93–62	.600	Won World Series over Cincinnati, 4–3
1973	Oakland Athletics	94–68	.580	Won World Series over New York, 4–3
1974	Oakland Athletics	90–72	.556	Won World Series over Los Angeles, 4–1
1975	Oakland Athletics	98–64	.605	Lost in ALCS to Boston, 3–0
1976	Kansas City Royals	90–72	.556	Lost in ALCS to New York, 3–2
1977	Kansas City Royals	102–60	.630	Lost in ALCS to New York, 3–2
1978	Kansas City Royals	92–70	.568	Lost in ALCS to New York, 3–1
1979	California Angels	88–74	.543	Lost in ALCS to Baltimore, 3–1
1980	Kansas City Royals	97–65	.599	Lost World Series to Philadelphia, 4–2
1981	Oakland Athletics†	64–45	.587	Lost in ALCS to New York, 3–0
1982	California Angels	93–69	.574	Lost in ALCS to Milwaukee, 3–2
1983	Chicago White Sox	99–63	.611	Lost in ALCS to Baltimore, 3–1
1984	Kansas City Royals	84–78	.519	Lost in ALCS to Detroit, 3–0
1985	Kansas City Royals	91–71	.562	Won World Series over St. Louis, 4–3
1986	California Angels	92–70	.568	Lost in ALCS to Boston, 4–3
1987	Minnesota Twins	85–77	.525	Won World Series over St. Louis, 4–3
1988	Oakland Athletics	104–58	.642	Lost World Series to Los Angeles, 4–1
1989	Oakland Athletics	99–63	.611	Won World Series over San Francisco, 4–0
1990	Oakland Athletics	103–59	.636	Lost World Series to Cincinnati, 4–0
1991	Minnesota Twins	95–67	.586	Won World Series over Atlanta, 4–3
1992	Oakland Athletics	96–66	.593	Lost in ALCS to Toronto, 4–2
1993	Chicago White Sox	94–68	.580	Lost in ALCS to Toronto, 4–2
1994	No playoffs due to 1994 Major League Baseball strike§
1995	Seattle Mariners*	79-66	.545	Lost in ALCS to Cleveland, 4-2
1996	Texas Rangers	90–72	.556	Lost in ALDS to New York, 3–1
1997	Seattle Mariners	90–72	.556	Lost in ALDS to Baltimore, 3–1
1998	Texas Rangers	88–74	.543	Lost in ALDS to New York, 3–0
1999	Texas Rangers	95–67	.586	Lost in ALDS to New York, 3–0
2000	Oakland Athletics	91–70	.565	Lost in ALDS to New York, 3–2
2001	Seattle Mariners	116–46	.716	Lost in ALCS to New York, 4–1
2002	Oakland Athletics	103–59	.636	Lost in ALDS to Minnesota, 3–2
2003	Oakland Athletics	96–66	.593	Lost in ALDS to Boston, 3–2
2004	Anaheim Angels	92–70	.568	Lost in ALDS to Boston, 3–0
2005	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	95–67	.586	Lost in ALCS to Chicago, 4–1
2006	Oakland Athletics	93–69	.574	Lost in ALCS to Detroit 4–0
2007	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	94–68	.580	Lost in ALDS to Boston, 3–0
2008	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	100–62	.617	Lost in ALDS to Boston, 3–1
2009	Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	97–65	.599	Lost in ALCS to New York, 4–2
2010	Texas Rangers	90–72	.556	Lost in World Series to San Francisco, 4–1
2011	Texas Rangers	96–66	.593	Lost in World Series to St. Louis, 4–3
2012	Oakland Athletics	94–68	.580	Lost in ALDS to Detroit, 3–2

† – Due to the players' strike, the season was split in two. The Athletics won the first half, and they defeated the second-half winner, the Kansas City Royals (50 – 53 overall record) in the postseason.
§ – Due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike, starting on August 12, no official winner was declared. The Texas Rangers were leading in winning percentage at time of the strike.
* – They defeated the California Angels in a one-game playoff for the division title, 9 – 1.

Wild-card winners produced

See List of American League Wild Card winners (since 1994)

Year	Winner	Record	%	GB	Playoffs
2000	Seattle Mariners	91–71	.562	.5	Lost in the ALCS to New York, 4–2
2001	Oakland Athletics	102–60	.630	14	Lost in the ALDS to New York, 3–2
2002	Anaheim Angels	99–63	.611	4	Won the World Series over San Francisco, 4–3
2012	Texas Rangers*	93–69	.574	1	Lost Wild Card Game to Baltimore, 5–1

* – Since the 2012 season, each league has had two Wild Card winners. The qualifiers play a single-game playoff to determine who will face the top-seeded team in the American League Division Series.

AL West statistics

Team	Division Championships	Last Year Won
Current Teams in Division:
Oakland Athletics	15	2012
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim	8	2009
Texas Rangers	5	2011
Seattle Mariners	3	2001
Houston Astros	0	—
Former Teams in Division:
Kansas City Royals	6	1985
Minnesota Twins	4	1991
Chicago White Sox	2	1993

References

• MLB Final Standings By Year