American League Division Series
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In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. The ALDS is actually two best-of-five series with the three division winners and a wild-card team participating. The ALDS was created after the 1993 season when Major League Baseball restructured the American League into three divisions, but was first played in 1995 following the cancellation of the 1994 playoffs.
Typically, the wild-card team plays 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 winningest division leader are from the same division, the wild-card team plays the next winningest division leader, and the other 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 teams to meet more than twice are the Cleveland Indians vs. the Boston Red Sox, the Seattle Mariners vs. the New York Yankees, and the Texas Rangers vs. the New York Yankees.
ALDS results (1995-present)
†Denotes wild-card team.
