The American League (AL) is one of the two leagues of Major League Baseball. The team with the highest winning percentage in the league won the pennant and faced the National League pennant winner in the World Series (in 1903 and 1905–1968).

In 1969, the league split into East and West divisions, and the two division winners played in the American League Championship Series to determine the league champion who would then face the National League champion in the World Series.

[edit] AL pennant winners (1901–1968)

• 1901 Chicago White Sox
• 1902 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1903 Boston Americans
• 1904 Boston Americans
• 1905 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1906 Chicago White Sox
• 1907 Detroit Tigers
• 1908 Tigers
• 1909 Tigers
• 1910 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1911 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1912 Boston Red Sox
• 1913 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1914 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1915 Boston Red Sox
• 1916 Red Sox
• 1917 Chicago White Sox
• 1918 Boston Red Sox
• 1919 Chicago White Sox
• 1920 Cleveland Indians
• 1921 New York Yankees
• 1922 Yankees
• 1923 Yankees
• 1924 Washington Senators
• 1925 Washington Senators
• 1926 New York Yankees
• 1927 Yankees
• 1928 Yankees
• 1929 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1930 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1931 Philadelphia Athletics
• 1932 New York Yankees
• 1933 Washington Senators
• 1934 Detroit Tigers
• 1935 Tigers
• 1936 New York Yankees
• 1937 Yankees
• 1938 Yankees
• 1939 Yankees
• 1940 Detroit Tigers
• 1941 New York Yankees
• 1942 Yankees
• 1943 Yankees
• 1944 St. Louis Browns
• 1945 Detroit Tigers
• 1946 Boston Red Sox
• 1947 New York Yankees
• 1948 Cleveland Indians
• 1949 New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox on the last day of the season to clinch the pennant in a 3 game series and a final day doubleheader.
• 1950 Yankees
• 1951 Yankees
• 1952 Yankees
• 1953 Yankees
• 1954 Cleveland Indians
• 1955 New York Yankees
• 1956 Yankees
• 1957 Yankees
• 1958 Yankees
• 1959 Chicago White Sox
• 1960 New York Yankees
• 1961 Yankees
• 1962 Yankees
• 1963 Yankees
• 1964 Yankees
• 1965 Minnesota Twins
• 1966 Baltimore Orioles
• 1967 Boston Red Sox
• 1968 Detroit Tigers
• 1969 Baltimore Orioles defeated the Minnesota Twins in a sweep to lose the World Series in 5 games to the New York Mets
• 1970 Orioles defeated the Twins in a sweep to win the World Series in 5 games to the Cincinnati Reds
• 1971 Orioles defeated the Oakland Athletics in a sweep to lose the World Series in 7 games to the Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1972 Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers in 5 games to win the World Series in 7 games against the Cincinnati Reds
• 1973 Athletics defeated the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games to win the World Series in 7 games against the New York Mets
• 1974 Athletics defeated the Orioles in 4 games to win the World Series in 5 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1975 Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics in a sweep to lose the World Series in 7 games to the Cincinnati Reds
• 1976 New York Yankees defeated the Kansas City Royals in 5 games to lose the World Series in a sweep to the Cincinnati Reds
• 1977 Yankees defeated the Royals in 5 games to win the World Series in 6 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1978 Yankees defeated the Royals in 4 games to win the World Series in 6 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1979 Baltimore Orioles defeated the California Angels in 4 games to lose the World Series in 6 games to the Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1980 Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Yankees in a sweep to lose the World Series in 6 games to the Philadelphia Phillies
• 1981 New York Yankees defeated the Oakland Athletics in a sweep to lose the World Series in 6 games to the Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1982 Milwaukee Brewers
• 1983 Baltimore Orioles
• 1984 Detroit Tigers
• 1985 Kansas City Royals
• 1986 Boston Red Sox defeated the California Angels in 7 games to lose the World Series in 7 games to the New York Mets
• 1987 Minnesota Twins
• 1988 Oakland Athletics
• 1989 Athletics
• 1990 Athletics
• 1991 Minnesota Twins
• 1992 Toronto Blue Jays
• 1993 The Blue Jays defeated the
• 1995 The Cleveland Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners in 6 games to lose the World Series in 6 games to the Atlanta Braves
• 1996 The New York Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles in 5 games to win the World Series in 6 games against the Atlanta Braves
• 1997 The Cleveland Indians defeated the Baltimore Orioles in 6 games to lose the World Series in 7 games to the Florida Marlins
• 1998 The New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians in 6 games to win the World Series in a sweep against the San Diego Padres
• 1999 The Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox in 5 games to win the World Series in a sweep against the Atlanta Braves
• 2000 The Yankees defeated the Seattle Mariners in 5 games to win the World Series in 5 games to the New York Mets
• 2001 The Yankees defeated the Mariners in 5 games to lose the World Series in 7 games to the Arizona Diamondbacks
• 2002 The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim defeated the Minnesota Twins in 5 games to win the World Series against the San Francisco Giants in 7 games
• 2003 The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games to lose the World Series against the Florida Marlins in 6 games
• 2004 The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees in 7 games to win the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in a sweep
• 2005 The Chicago White Sox defeated the Anaheim Angels in 5 games to win the World Series against the Houston Astros in a sweep
• 2006 The Detroit Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics in a sweep to lose the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games
• 2007 The Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians in 7 games to win the World Series against the Colorado Rockies in a Sweep
• 2008 The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox in 7 games to lose the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games
• 2009 The New York Yankees defeated the LA Angels in 6 games to win the World Series against the Phillies in 6 as well.

For more on AL pennant winners from 1969 to the present, see American League Championship Series.

[edit] AL pennant winners By Team

New York Yankees 40
Philadelphia/Oakland Athletics 15
Boston Red Sox 12
Detroit Tigers10
Baltimore Orioles 7
Chicago White Sox 7
Minnesota Twins 6
Cleveland Indians 5
Kansas City Royals 2
Toronto Blue Jays 2
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 1
Milwaukee Brewers 1
Tampa Bay Rays 1
Seattle Mariners 0
Washington/Texas Rangers 0

[edit] See also

• Baseball
• History of baseball
• National League pennant winners 1876–1968
• American League Division Series (ALDS)
• National League Division Series (NLDS)
• American League Championship Series (ALCS)
• National League Championship Series (NLCS)
• World Series