List of American League Wild Card winners

The wild card was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a chance to win the World Series. The restructuring of both the American and National Leagues from two divisions each to three made it necessary to either give one team a bye in the first round of playoffs, or create the wild card for the best second-place team. In addition, the wild card guaranteed that the team with the second best record in each league would qualify for the playoffs, even if they were in the same division with the team having the best record.

See also: Major League Baseball wild card and Major League Baseball Wild Card Game

Beginning in 2012 a second wild card team was added to each league. The two wild card teams in each league face each other in a one-game playoff, the winner advancing to meet the number one seed in the Division Series.

For the 2020 postseason only, the field expanded to include three second-place teams per division, followed by the wild card teams represented by the next two best records from each league. All eight teams would play in a three-game Wild Card Series.

As of 2019, the AL East has produced 21 of 32 wild card teams; the AL West is second with seven teams, while the AL Central has qualified four wild card teams. The New York Yankees have been a wild card qualifier a record seven times.

AL wild card qualifiers by year

As of 2015, two AL wild card teams went on to win the World Series (Anaheim in 2002 and Boston in 2004), two teams won the AL pennant but lost the World Series (Detroit in 2006 and Kansas City in 2014), and six other teams won the division series but lost the championship series.

Year Team Record % Postseason
Original Format
1995 New York Yankees 78–65 .549 Lost Division Series to Seattle, 3–2
1996 Baltimore Orioles 88–74 .543 Won Division Series over Cleveland, 3–1
Lost ALCS to New York (AL), 4–1
1997 New York Yankees 96–66 .586 Lost Division Series to Cleveland, 3–2
1998 Boston Red Sox 92–70 .568 Lost Division Series to Cleveland, 3–1
1999 Boston Red Sox 94–68 .580 Won Division Series over Cleveland, 3–2
Lost ALCS to New York (AL), 4–1
2000 Seattle Mariners 91–71 .562 Won Division Series over Chicago (AL), 3–0
Lost ALCS to New York (AL), 4–2
2001 Oakland Athletics 102–60 .630 Lost Division Series to New York (AL), 3–2
2002 Anaheim Angels 99–63 .611 Won Division Series over New York (AL), 3–1
Won ALCS over Minnesota, 4–1
Won World Series over San Francisco, 4–3
2003 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 Won Division Series over Oakland, 3–2
Lost ALCS to New York (AL), 4–3
2004 Boston Red Sox 98–64 .605 Won Division Series over Anaheim, 3–0
Won ALCS over New York (AL), 4–3
Won World Series over St. Louis, 4–0
2005 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 Lost Division Series to Chicago (AL), 3–0
2006 Detroit Tigers 95–67 .586 Won Division Series over New York (AL), 3–1
Won ALCS over Oakland, 4–0
Lost World Series to St. Louis, 4–1
2007 New York Yankees 94–68 .580 Lost Division Series to Cleveland, 3–1
2008 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 Won Division Series over Los Angeles (AL), 3–1
Lost ALCS to Tampa Bay, 4–3
2009 Boston Red Sox 95–67 .586 Lost Division Series to Los Angeles (AL), 3–0
2010 New York Yankees 95–67 .586 Won Division Series over Minnesota, 3–0
Lost ALCS to Texas, 4–2
2011 Tampa Bay Rays 91–71 .562 Lost Division Series to Texas, 3–1
Expanded Format
2012 Texas Rangers 93–69 .574 Lost Wild Card Game to Baltimore
Baltimore Orioles 93–69 .574 Won Wild Card Game over Texas
Lost Division Series to New York (AL), 3–2
2013 Cleveland Indians 92–70 .568 Lost Wild Card Game to Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays 92–71 .564 Won Wild Card Game over Cleveland
Lost Division Series to Boston, 3–1
2014 Kansas City Royals 89–73 .549 Won Wild Card Game over Oakland
Won Division Series over Los Angeles (AL), 3–0
Won ALCS over Baltimore, 4–0
Lost World Series to San Francisco, 4-3
Oakland Athletics 88–74 .543 Lost Wild Card Game to Kansas City
2015 New York Yankees 87–75 .537 Lost Wild Card Game to Houston
Houston Astros 86–76 .531 Won Wild Card Game over New York (AL)
Lost Division Series to Kansas City, 3–2
2016 Toronto Blue Jays 89–73 .549 Won Wild Card Game over Baltimore
Won Division Series over Texas, 3–0
Lost ALCS to Cleveland, 4–1
Baltimore Orioles 89–73 .549 Lost Wild Card Game to Toronto
2017 New York Yankees 91–71 .562 Won Wild Card Game over Minnesota
Won Division Series over Cleveland, 3–2
Lost ALCS vs. Houston, 4-3
Minnesota Twins 85–77 .525 Lost Wild Card Game to New York (AL)
2018 New York Yankees 100–62 .617 Won Wild Card Game over Oakland
Lost Division Series to Boston, 3–1
Oakland Athletics 97–65 .599 Lost Wild Card Game to New York (AL)
2019 Oakland Athletics 97–65 .599 Lost Wild Card Game to Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays 96–66 .593 Won Wild Card Game over Oakland
Lost Division Series to Houston, 3–2
2020 Chicago White Sox 35–25 .583 Lost Wild Card Series to Oakland, 2–1
Toronto Blue Jays 32–28 .533 Lost Wild Card Series to Tampa Bay, 2–0

Most AL wild card appearances
Rank Team Total Year(s)
T-1 New York Yankees 7 1995, 1997, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018
T-1 Boston Red Sox 7 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
3 Oakland Athletics 4 2001, 2014, 2018, 2019
T-4 Baltimore Orioles 3 1996, 2012, 2016
T-4 Tampa Bay Rays 3 2011, 2013, 2019
6 Toronto Blue Jays 2 2016, 2020
T-7 Chicago White Sox 1 2020
T-7 Cleveland Indians 1 2013
T-7 Detroit Tigers 1 2006
T-7 Houston Astros 1 2015
T-7 Kansas City Royals 1 2014
T-7 Los Angeles Angels 1 2002
T-7 Minnesota Twins 1 2017
T-7 Seattle Mariners 1 2000
T-7 Texas Rangers 1 2012

See also
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