American League West

AL West
League American League
Sport Major League Baseball
Founded 1969
No. of teams
Most recent champion(s)

(6th title)

Most titles

(16)

The American League West is one of three divisions in Major League Baseball's American League. The division has five teams as of the 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, the AL West was the only MLB division with four teams. The current champion of this division is the Texas Rangers. In 2013, the Houston Astros went from the National League Central to the AL West.[1] That move gives all six MLB divisions an equal five teams and both leagues an equal 15 teams.

Division membership

Current members

Former members

Division members

Place cursor over year for division champ or World Series team.
Years
AL West 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
California Angels Anaheim Angels[F]
Oakland Athletics
Chicago White Sox[E]  
Kansas City Royals[E]  
Minnesota Twins[E]  
Seattle Pilots[B] Milwaukee Brewers[C]  
  Texas Rangers[C]
  Seattle Mariners[D]
AL West Division[A]
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[F]
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Seattle Mariners
  Houston Astros[G]
     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

Champions by year

AL West champions by year
Year Winner Record Win % Playoffs
1969 Minnesota Twins 97–65 .599 Lost ALCS to Baltimore, 3–0
1970 Minnesota Twins 98–64 .605 Lost ALCS to Baltimore, 3–0
1971 Oakland Athletics 101–61 .627 Lost 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 ALCS to Boston, 3–0
1976 Kansas City Royals 90–72 .556 Lost ALCS to New York, 3–2
1977 Kansas City Royals 102–60 .630 Lost ALCS to New York, 3–2
1978 Kansas City Royals 92–70 .568 Lost ALCS to New York, 3–1
1979 California Angels 88–74 .543 Lost 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 ALCS to New York, 3–0
1982 California Angels 93–69 .574 Lost ALCS to Milwaukee, 3–2
1983 Chicago White Sox 99–63 .611 Lost ALCS to Baltimore, 3–1
1984 Kansas City Royals 84–78 .519 Lost 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 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 ALCS to Toronto, 4–2
1993 Chicago White Sox 94–68 .580 Lost ALCS to Toronto, 4–2
1994 No playoffs due to 1994 Major League Baseball strike§
1995 Seattle Mariners* 79-66 .545 Lost ALCS to Cleveland, 4-2
1996 Texas Rangers 90–72 .556 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–1
1997 Seattle Mariners 90–72 .556 Lost ALDS to Baltimore, 3–1
1998 Texas Rangers 88–74 .543 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–0
1999 Texas Rangers 95–67 .586 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–0
2000 Oakland Athletics 91–70 .565 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–2
2001 Seattle Mariners 116–46 .716 Lost ALCS to New York, 4–1
2002 Oakland Athletics 103–59 .636 Lost ALDS to Minnesota, 3–2
2003 Oakland Athletics 96–66 .593 Lost ALDS to Boston, 3–2
2004 Anaheim Angels 92–70 .568 Lost ALDS to Boston, 3–0
2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 95–67 .586 Lost ALCS to Chicago, 4–1
2006 Oakland Athletics 93–69 .574 Lost ALCS to Detroit 4–0
2007 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 94–68 .580 Lost ALDS to Boston, 3–0
2008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 100–62 .617 Lost ALDS to Boston, 3–1
2009 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 97–65 .599 Lost ALCS to New York, 4–2
2010 Texas Rangers 90–72 .556 Lost World Series to San Francisco, 4–1
2011 Texas Rangers 96–66 .593 Lost World Series to St. Louis, 4–3
2012 Oakland Athletics 94–68 .580 Lost ALDS to Detroit, 3–2
2013 Oakland Athletics 96–66 .593 Lost ALDS to Detroit, 3–2
2014 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 98–64 .605 Lost ALDS to Kansas City, 3–0
2015 Texas Rangers 88–74 .543 Lost ALDS to Toronto, 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 ALCS to New York, 4–2
2001 Oakland Athletics 102–60 .630 14 Lost ALDS to New York, 3–2
2002 Anaheim Angels 99–63 .611 4 Won World Series over San Francisco, 4–3
2012 Texas Rangers* 93–69 .574 1 Lost ALWC to Baltimore
2014 Oakland Athletics* 88–74 .543 10 Lost ALWC to Kansas City
2015 Houston Astros* 86–76 .531 2 Lost ALDS to Kansas City, 3–2

* – 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 Year (s)
Current Teams in Division:
Oakland Athletics
16
2013
1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
9
2014
1979, 1982, 1986, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014
Texas Rangers
6
2015
1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015
Seattle Mariners
3
2001
1995, 1997, 2001
Houston Astros 0
Former Teams in Division:
Kansas City Royals
6
1985
1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985
Minnesota Twins
4
1991
1969, 1970, 1987, 1991
Chicago White Sox
2
1993
1983, 1993
Seattle Pilots/Milwaukee Brewers 0

See also

References

  1. "Houston Astros' sale approved by MLB". Associated Press. November 17, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2011.

External links

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