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American League East

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AL East
LeagueAmerican League
SportMajor League Baseball
Founded1969
No. of teams5
Most recent
champion(s)		Boston Red Sox
(8th title)
Most titlesNew York Yankees (18)

The American League East is one of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s six divisions (An East, Central, and West division for each of the two leagues). This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the American League West division. Before that time the American League (AL) had existed as a single league of 10 teams.

Four of its five teams are located in the Eastern United States, with the other in Central Canada. At the end of the MLB season, the team with the best record in the division earns one of the American League's five playoff spots. The most recent team to win this division was the Boston Red Sox in 2016.

History

Writers have posited that the American League East is the toughest division in MLB;[1][2] during its 46-year existence, an East division team has gone on to play in the World Series 25 times, and 14 of those teams have been crowned World Series champions. Since the 1995 season when the wild-card playoff berth was introduced, the AL East has produced the wild-card team for the American League in 13 out of the 17 years (the West division three, and the Central division just one).

When the Major Leagues split into divisions for the 1969 season, the American League, unlike the National League, split its 12 teams strictly on geography. The six teams located in the Eastern Time Zone were placed in the East division, and the other six were placed in the West division.

In September 1971, American League owners approved the move of the second Washington Senators franchise to Arlington, Texas to become the Texas Rangers. The owners then debated whether the Chicago White Sox or Milwaukee Brewers should move to the East division for 1972, with the Rangers moving to the West. The White Sox requested they be moved to the East, stating they were an original American League franchise and wanted to play more games against other old-line A.L. teams, five of which were in the East.

The Oakland Athletics objected to moving the White Sox to the East; owner Charlie Finley was a Chicago native who wanted to continue to make three trips per season with his club to the Windy City. The Minnesota Twins went a step farther and objected to switching either the White Sox or Brewers. The Twins wanted to keep nearby Chicago and Milwaukee as division rivals, citing the National League's lack of geographic accuracy in forming its divisions as a reason why the Rangers should not have been shifted out of the East. The Twins also noted the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys played in the NFC East.

The White Sox' pleas fell on deaf ears, and the Brewers, who began life as the Seattle Pilots in 1969, were moved to the East.

Division membership

Current members

Former members

The division members

Years
AL East Division[A]
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
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Detroit Tigers [E]  
Cleveland Indians [D]  
Washington Senators [B]  
  Milwaukee Brewers [B] [D]  
  Toronto Blue Jays [C]
  Tampa Bay Devil Rays [E]
Years
AL East Division[A]
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Tampa Bay Rays [F]
  Team not in division   Division Won World Series   Division Won AL Championship   World Series canceled due to strike
A Creation of six-team division (Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, NY Yankees, Washington Senators) due to 1969 expansion
B Washington franchise moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth, became Texas Rangers and moved into AL West. Either Milwaukee or the Chicago White Sox would have had to move to the East, eventually it was decided that Milwaukee make the switch. Total teams remains at six.
C Toronto, the seventh team, is added in 1977 expansion
D Due to 1994 realignment, Cleveland and Milwaukee were moved to newly created AL Central. Division reduced to five teams.
E Tampa Bay added in 1998 expansion along with the Detroit Tigers moving to AL Central. Total teams remains at five.
F Tampa Bay Devil Rays become Tampa Bay Rays.

Champions by year

  • Team names link to the season in which each team played
Year Winner Record % Playoffs
1969 Baltimore Orioles 109–53 .673 Lost World Series to New York, 4–1
1970 Baltimore Orioles 108–54 .667 Won World Series over Cincinnati, 4–1
1971 Baltimore Orioles 101–57 .639 Lost World Series to Pittsburgh, 4–3
1972 Detroit Tigers 86–70 .551 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 3–2
1973 Baltimore Orioles 97–65 .599 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 3–2
1974 Baltimore Orioles 91–71 .562 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 3–1
1975 Boston Red Sox 95–65 .594 Lost World Series to Cincinnati, 4–3
1976 New York Yankees 97–62 .610 Lost World Series to Cincinnati, 4–0
1977 New York Yankees 100–62 .617 Won World Series over Los Angeles, 4–2
1978 New York Yankees‡ 100–63 .613 Won World Series over Los Angeles, 4–2
1979 Baltimore Orioles 102–57 .642 Lost World Series to Pittsburgh, 4–3
1980 New York Yankees 103–59 .636 Lost ALCS to Kansas City, 3–0
1981 New York Yankees* 59–48 .551 Lost World Series to Los Angeles, 4–2
1982 Milwaukee Brewers 95–67 .586 Lost World Series to St. Louis, 4–3
1983 Baltimore Orioles 98–64 .605 Won World Series over Philadelphia, 4–1
1984 Detroit Tigers 104–58 .642 Won World Series over San Diego, 4–1
1985 Toronto Blue Jays 99–62 .615 Lost ALCS to Kansas City, 4–3
1986 Boston Red Sox 95–66 .590 Lost World Series to New York, 4–3
1987 Detroit Tigers 98–64 .605 Lost ALCS to Minnesota, 4–1
1988 Boston Red Sox 89–73 .549 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 4–0
1989 Toronto Blue Jays 89–73 .549 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 4–1
1990 Boston Red Sox 88–74 .543 Lost ALCS to Oakland, 4–0
1991 Toronto Blue Jays 91–71 .562 Lost ALCS to Minnesota, 4–1
1992 Toronto Blue Jays 96–66 .593 Won World Series over Atlanta, 4–2
1993 Toronto Blue Jays 95–67 .586 Won World Series over Philadelphia, 4–2
1994 Strike Shortened Season§ No Postseason
1995 Boston Red Sox 86–58 .597 Lost ALDS to Cleveland, 3–0
1996 New York Yankees 92–70 .568 Won World Series over Atlanta, 4–2
1997 Baltimore Orioles 98–64 .605 Lost ALCS to Cleveland, 4–2
1998 New York Yankees 114–48 .704 Won World Series over San Diego, 4–0
1999 New York Yankees 98–64 .605 Won World Series over Atlanta, 4–0
2000 New York Yankees 87–74 .540 Won World Series over New York, 4–1
2001 New York Yankees 95–65 .594 Lost World Series to Arizona, 4–3
2002 New York Yankees 103–58 .640 Lost ALDS to Anaheim, 3–1
2003 New York Yankees 101–61 .623 Lost World Series to Florida, 4–2
2004 New York Yankees 101–61 .623 Lost ALCS to Boston, 4–3
2005 New York Yankees†† 95–67 .586 Lost ALDS to Los Angeles, 3–2
2006 New York Yankees 97–65 .599 Lost ALDS to Detroit, 3–1
2007 Boston Red Sox 96–66 .593 Won World Series over Colorado, 4–0
2008 Tampa Bay Rays 97–65 .599 Lost World Series to Philadelphia, 4–1
2009 New York Yankees 103–59 .636 Won World Series over Philadelphia, 4–2
2010 Tampa Bay Rays 96–66 .593 Lost ALDS to Texas, 3–2
2011 New York Yankees 97–65 .599 Lost ALDS to Detroit, 3–2
2012 New York Yankees 95–67 .586 Lost ALCS to Detroit, 4–0
2013 Boston Red Sox 97–65 .599 Won World Series over St. Louis, 4–2
2014 Baltimore Orioles 96–66 .593 Lost ALCS to Kansas City, 4–0
2015 Toronto Blue Jays 93–69 .574 Lost ALCS to Kansas City, 4–2
2016 Boston Red Sox 93–69 .574 Lost ALDS to Cleveland, 3–0

‡ – In 1978, the New York Yankees ended up in a tie with the Boston Red Sox for the division championship, and won a 1-game playoff against Boston.

* – Due to the players' strike, the season was split. New York won the first half and defeated second-half champion Milwaukee (62–45) in the postseason.

§ – Due to the 1994 baseball strike starting August 12, no official winner was awarded. New York was leading at the strike.

†† – The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees finished the 2005 season tied for first place with identical records. New York won the season series against Boston and was awarded the tie-breaker; Boston was awarded the wild card berth. Had a team from another division won the wild card, a one-game playoff would have decided the division champion.

The Cleveland Indians were the only team to not win the AL East before the 1994 division realignment.

AL East statistics

Team Division
Championships 		Year (s) Last Year Won Wild Card
Appearances 		Division Series
Record 		AL Championship Series
Record 		World Series
Record
Current Teams in Division:
New York Yankees
18
1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012
2012
4
11 – 6
11 – 3
7 – 4
Baltimore Orioles
9
1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1997, 2014
2014
3
3 – 1
5 – 4
2 – 3
Boston Red Sox
8
1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2007, 2013, 2016
2016
7
5 – 5
4 – 5
3 – 1
Toronto Blue Jays
6
1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015
2015
1
2 – 0
2 – 4
2 – 0
Tampa Bay Rays
2
2008, 2010
2010
2
1 – 2
1 – 0
0 – 1
Former Teams in Division:
Detroit Tigers
3
1972, 1984, 1987
1987
—
0 – 0
1 – 2
1 – 0
Milwaukee Brewers
1
1982
1982
—
0 – 1
1 – 0
0 – 1
Cleveland Indians
0
—
—
—
0 – 0
0 – 0
0 – 0
TOTAL
45
—
—
17
22 – 15
25 – 17
15 – 10

Wild Card winners produced

Since the advent of the Wild Card, AL East teams have faced each other in the ALCS 5 times and the ALDS twice.

See List of American League Wild Card winners (since 1994)
Year Winner Record % GB Playoffs
1995 New York Yankees 79–65 .549 7 Lost ALDS to Seattle, 3–2
1996 Baltimore Orioles 88–74 .543 4 Lost ALCS to New York, 4–1
1997 New York Yankees 96–66 .593 2 Lost ALDS to Cleveland, 3–2
1998 Boston Red Sox 92–70 .568 22 Lost ALDS to Cleveland, 3–1
1999 Boston Red Sox 94–68 .580 4 Lost ALCS to New York, 4–1
2003 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 6 Lost ALCS to New York, 4–3
2004 Boston Red Sox 98–64 .605 3 Won World Series over St. Louis, 4–0
2005 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 0 Lost ALDS to Chicago, 3–0
2007 New York Yankees 94–68 .580 2 Lost ALDS to Cleveland, 3–1
2008 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 2 Lost ALCS to Tampa Bay, 4–3
2009 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 8 Lost ALDS to Los Angeles, 3–0
2010 New York Yankees 95–67 .586 1 Lost ALCS to Texas, 4–2
2011 Tampa Bay Rays 91–71 .562 6 Lost ALDS to Texas, 3–1
2012 Baltimore Orioles 93–69 .574 2 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–2
2013 Tampa Bay Rays** 92–71 .564 5.5 Lost ALDS to Boston, 3–1
2015 New York Yankees 87–75 .537 6 Lost ALWC to Houston
2016 Toronto Blue Jays** 89–73 .549 4 Lost ALCS to Cleveland, 4–1
Baltimore Orioles** 89–73 .549 4 Lost ALWC to Toronto

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

** In 2013, the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays finished the season with the identical records of 91–71. A one-game playoff was held and the Rays won it 5–2 over the Rangers to capture the second Wild Card berth.

See also

References

  1. ^ Leitch, Will. "MLB Preview: American League East". Sports on Earth. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. ^ Stark, Jayson. "Ranking MLB's six divisions". ESPN. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
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