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 Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 .
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).
Division membership [ edit ]
Current members [ edit ]
Former members [ edit ]
The division members [ edit ]
A Creation of division 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.
C Toronto added in 1977 expansion
D Due to 1994 realignment, Cleveland and Milwaukee were moved to newly created AL Central
E Tampa Bay added in 1998 expansion along with the Tigers moving to AL Central
F Tampa Bay Devil Rays become Tampa Bay Rays
Champions by year [ edit ]
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
‡ - 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 [ edit ]
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
2
2 – 1
5 – 4
2 – 3
Boston Red Sox
7
1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2007, 2013
2013
7
5 – 4
4 – 5
3 – 1
Toronto Blue Jays
6
1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2015
2015
—
0 – 0
2 – 3
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
—
—
15
18 – 13
25 – 17
15 – 10
Wild Card winners produced [ edit ]
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
* – 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 [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
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