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 American League Division Series - Definition 

In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determine which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The ALDS consists of two best-of-five series, featuring the three division winners and a wild-card team. The Division Series were created after the 1993 season when Major League Baseball restructured each league into three divisions, but they were first played in 1995 due to the cancellation of the 1994 playoffs.

Typically, the wild-card team is assigned to play the division leader with the best winning percentage in one series, and the other two division leaders play the other series. However, if the wild-card team and the division leader with the best record are from the same division, the wild-card team plays the next winningest division leader, and the remaining two division leaders play. In any event, the two series winners move on to the best-of-seven ALCS.

Since the ALDS's inception, the only pairs of opponents to meet more than once are the Cleveland Indians vs. the Boston Red Sox (1995, 1998, and 1999), the Minnesota Twins vs. the New York Yankees (2003 & 2004), the Oakland Athletics vs. the Yankees (2000 & 2001), and the Texas Rangers vs. the Yankees (1996, 1998, and 1999).

ALDS results (1995-present)

YearWinnerLoserWinsLosses
1995Cleveland IndiansBoston Red Sox 30
Seattle MarinersNew York Yankees† 32
1996New York YankeesTexas Rangers 3 1
Baltimore Orioles†Cleveland Indians 31
1997Baltimore OriolesSeattle Mariners 31
Cleveland IndiansNew York Yankees† 32
1998New York YankeesTexas Rangers 30
Cleveland IndiansBoston Red Sox† 32
1999New York YankeesTexas Rangers 30
Boston Red Sox†Cleveland Indians 32
2000Seattle Mariners†Chicago White Sox 30
New York YankeesOakland Athletics 32
2001New York YankeesOakland Athletics† 32
Seattle MarinersCleveland Indians 32
2002Minnesota TwinsOakland Athletics 32
Anaheim Angels†New York Yankees 31
2003New York YankeesMinnesota Twins 31
Boston Red Sox†Oakland Athletics 32
2004New York YankeesMinnesota Twins 31
Boston Red Sox†Anaheim Angels 30

†Denotes wild-card team.

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