American League Central

The American League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was formed in the realignment of 1994 by moving three teams from the American League West and two teams from the American League East. Its teams are all located in the Midwestern United States. Along with the National League East, the AL Central is one of two divisions in the Major Leagues in which all of its members have won a World Series title. In fact, each team has captured at least two World Series championships. The Kansas City Royals were the most recent team from the division to win the World Series.

American League Central
LeagueAmerican League
SportMajor League Baseball
Founded1994
No. of teams5
Most recent
champion(s)
Minnesota Twins
(2023; 9th title)
Most titlesCleveland Guardians (11)

Division membership

Current members

Former member

Membership timeline

Place cursor over year for division champ or World Series team.

AL Central Division[A]
Years
94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians Cleveland
Guardians
[B]
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Brewers[C]  
Minnesota Twins
  Detroit Tigers[C]
  Team not in division   Division won World Series   Division won AL Championship
A The Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins came from the AL West, and the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers from the AL East.
B The Cleveland Guardians were known as the Cleveland Indians until November 2021.
C Due to expansion in 1998 and the placement of the new Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the AL East, the Tigers moved to the Central. To give each league an even number of teams, the Brewers moved to the NL Central.

Champions by year

The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals are the only teams from the AL Central division to have won the World Series since the league realignment in 1994.

  • Team names link to the season in which each team played
Year Winner Record % Playoff Results
1994§ No playoffs due to 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike
1995 Cleveland Indians (1) 100–44 .694 Won ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0
Won ALCS (Mariners) 4–2
Lost World Series (Braves) 4–2
1996 Cleveland Indians (2) 99–62 .615 Lost ALDS (Orioles) 3–1
1997 Cleveland Indians (3) 86–75 .534 Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
Won ALCS (Orioles) 4–2
Lost World Series (Marlins) 4–3
1998 Cleveland Indians (4) 89–73 .549 Won ALDS (Red Sox) 3–1
Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–2
1999 Cleveland Indians (5) 97–65 .599 Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–2
2000 Chicago White Sox (1) 95–67 .586 Lost ALDS (Mariners) 3–0
2001 Cleveland Indians (6) 91–71 .562 Lost ALDS (Mariners) 3–2
2002 Minnesota Twins (1) 94–67 .584 Won ALDS (Athletics) 3–2
Lost ALCS (Angels) 4–1
2003 Minnesota Twins (2) 90–72 .556 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–1
2004 Minnesota Twins (3) 92–70 .568 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–1
2005 Chicago White Sox (2) 99–63 .611 Won ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0
Won ALCS (Angels) 4–1
Won World Series (Astros) 4–0
2006 Minnesota Twins (4) 96–66 .593 Lost ALDS (Athletics) 3–0
2007 Cleveland Indians (7) 96–66 .593 Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–1
Lost ALCS (Red Sox) 4–3
2008 Chicago White Sox (3)** 89–74 .546 Lost ALDS (Rays) 3–1
2009 Minnesota Twins (5)# 87–76 .534 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–0
2010 Minnesota Twins (6) 94–68 .580 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–0
2011 Detroit Tigers (1) 95–67 .586 Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
Lost ALCS (Rangers) 4–2
2012 Detroit Tigers (2) 88–74 .543 Won ALDS (Athletics) 3–2
Won ALCS (Yankees) 4–0
Lost World Series (Giants) 4–0
2013 Detroit Tigers (3) 93–69 .574 Won ALDS (Athletics) 3–2
Lost ALCS (Red Sox) 4–2
2014 Detroit Tigers (4) 90–72 .556 Lost ALDS (Orioles) 3–0
2015 Kansas City Royals (1) 95–67 .586 Won ALDS (Astros) 3–2
Won ALCS (Blue Jays) 4–2
Won World Series (Mets) 4–1
2016 Cleveland Indians (8) 94–67 .584 Won ALDS (Red Sox) 3–0
Won ALCS (Blue Jays) 4–1
Lost World Series (Cubs) 4–3
2017 Cleveland Indians (9) 102–60 .630 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
2018 Cleveland Indians (10) 91–71 .562 Lost ALDS (Astros) 3–0
2019 Minnesota Twins (7) 101–61 .623 Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–0
2020*** Minnesota Twins (8) 36–24 .600 Lost ALWC (Astros) 2–0
2021 Chicago White Sox (4) 93–69 .574 Lost ALDS (Astros) 3–1
2022 Cleveland Guardians (11) 92–70 .568 Won ALWC (Rays) 2–0
Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
2023 Minnesota Twins (9) 87–75 .537 Won ALWC (Blue Jays) 2–0
Lost ALDS (Astros) 3–1

* Due to the 1994 Major League Baseball strike starting August 12, no winner was determined. The Chicago White Sox were leading at the time that the strike began.

** In 2008, the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox finished the season with the identical records. The White Sox won the one-game playoff 1–0.

# In 2009, the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers finished the season with identical records. The Twins won the one-game playoff 6–5 in 12 innings.

*** Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games. By virtue of the eight-team postseason format used for that season, division runner-up Cleveland also qualified for the playoffs. The Indians were tied with the Chicago White Sox but won the runner-up honors with a better head-to-head record (Indians won the season series 8–2 over the White Sox).

Other postseason teams

In 1994, the Cleveland Indians were sitting atop the wild-card standings and would have qualified for the postseason as the AL's first wild card but on August 12 of that year, the season came to an early end due to a players strike, cancelling the remainder of the regular season and postseason. The 2006 Detroit Tigers were the first team from the Central to qualify as the wild card. MLB revamped the postseason starting in 2012, creating a new single-game playoff where two wildcards competed against each other while the division winners each received a bye. The winner of the American League wild card game moved on to face the top-seeded team of the AL in the American League Division Series. In 2013, the Indians became the first team from the AL Central to qualify as a wild card under the new postseason format. In 2014, the Kansas City Royals ended a 29-year postseason drought returning to the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 1985.

In 2020 only, eight teams, including the three division winners, played in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with the winners advancing to the Division Series. Starting in 2022, the Wild Card field was increased to three teams, and along with the lowest-ranked division winner, qualified for the best-of-three Wild Card Series to determine the remaining two slots in the Division Series.

Year Winner Record % GB Playoff Results
2006 Detroit Tigers 95–67 .586 1 Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–1
Won ALCS (Athletics) 4–0
Lost World Series (Cardinals) 4–1
2013 Cleveland Indians 92–70 .568 1 Lost ALWC (Rays)
2014 Kansas City Royals 89–73 .549 1 Won ALWC (Athletics)
Won ALDS (Angels) 3–0
Won ALCS (Orioles) 4–0
Lost World Series (Giants) 4–3
2017 Minnesota Twins 85–77 .525 17 Lost ALWC (Yankees)
2020† Cleveland Indians 35–25 .583 1 Lost ALWC (Yankees) 2–0
Chicago White Sox 35–25 .583 1 Lost ALWC (Athletics) 2–1

† – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games. The White Sox were tied with the Cleveland Indians but lost the runner-up honors due to an inferior head-to-head record (White Sox lost the season series 2–8 over the Indians).

Season results

(#) Denotes team that won the World Series
(#) Denotes team that won the American League pennant, but lost World Series
(#) Denotes team that qualified for the MLB postseason
SeasonTeam (record)
1st2nd3rd4th5th
1994Chicago White Sox (67–46)Cleveland (66–47)Kansas City (64–51)Minnesota (53–60)Milwaukee (53–62)
1995(1) Cleveland (100–44)Kansas City (70–74)Chicago White Sox (68–76)Milwaukee (65–79)Minnesota (56–88)
1996(1) Cleveland (99–62)Chicago White Sox (85–77)Milwaukee (80–82)Minnesota (78–84)Kansas City (75–86)
1997(3) Cleveland (86–75)Chicago White Sox (80–81)Milwaukee (78–83)Minnesota (68–94)Kansas City (67–94)
1998(2) Cleveland (89–73)Chicago White Sox (80–82)Kansas City (72–89)Minnesota (70–92)Detroit (65–97)
1999(1) Cleveland (97–65)Chicago White Sox (75–86)Detroit (69–92)Kansas City (64–97)Minnesota (63–97)
2000(1) Chicago White Sox (95–67)Cleveland (90–72)Detroit (79–83)Kansas City (77–85)Minnesota (69–93)
2001(3) Cleveland (91–71)Minnesota (85–77)Chicago White Sox (83–79)Detroit (66–96)Kansas City (65–97)
2002(3) Minnesota (94–67)Chicago White Sox (81–81)Cleveland (74–88)Kansas City (62–100)Detroit (55–106)
2003(3) Minnesota (90–72)Chicago White Sox (86–76)Kansas City (83–79)Cleveland (68–94)Detroit (43–119)
2004(3) Minnesota[a] (92–70)Chicago White Sox (83–79)Cleveland (80–82)Detroit (72–90)Kansas City (58–104)
2005(1) Chicago White Sox (99–63)Cleveland (93–69)Minnesota (83–79)Detroit (71–91)Kansas City (56–106)
2006(2) Minnesota (96–66)(4) Detroit (95–67)Chicago White Sox (90–72)Cleveland (78–84)Kansas City (62–100)
2007(2) Cleveland[b] (96–66)Detroit (88–74)Minnesota (79–83)Chicago White Sox (72–90)Kansas City (69–93)
2008(3) Chicago White Sox[c] (89–74)Minnesota (88–75)Cleveland (81–81)Kansas City (75–87)Detroit (74–88)
2009(3) Minnesota[d] (87–76)Detroit (86–77)Chicago White Sox (79–83)Cleveland (65–97)Kansas City (65–97)
2010(2) Minnesota (94–68)Chicago White Sox (88–74)Detroit (81–81)Cleveland (69–93)Kansas City (67–95)
2011(3) Detroit (95–67)Cleveland (80–82)Chicago White Sox (79–83)Kansas City (71–91)Minnesota (63–99)
2012(3) Detroit (88–74)Chicago White Sox (85–77)Kansas City (72–90)Cleveland (68–94)Minnesota (66–96)
2013(3) Detroit (93–69)(4) Cleveland (92–70)Kansas City (86–76)Minnesota (66–96)Chicago White Sox (63–99)
2014(3) Detroit (90–72)(4) Kansas City (89–73)Cleveland (85–77)Chicago White Sox (73–89)Minnesota (70–92)
2015(1) Kansas City (95–67)Minnesota (83–79)Cleveland (81–80)Chicago White Sox (76–86)Detroit (74–87)
2016(2) Cleveland (94–67)Detroit (86–75)Kansas City (81–81)Chicago White Sox (78–84)Minnesota (59–103)
2017(1) Cleveland (102–60)(5) Minnesota (85–77)Kansas City (80–82)Chicago White Sox (67–95)Detroit (64–98)
2018(3) Cleveland (91–71)Minnesota (78–84)Detroit (64–98)Chicago White Sox (62–100)Kansas City (58–104)
2019(3) Minnesota (101–61)Cleveland (93–69)Chicago White Sox (72–89)Kansas City (59–103)Detroit (47–114)
  • 2020: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was shortened to 60 games. The postseason field was expanded to eight teams and the wild-card round became a best-of-three series.
2020(3) Minnesota (36–24)(4) Cleveland[e] (35–25)(7) Chicago White Sox (35–25)Kansas City (26–34)Detroit (23–35)
2021(3) Chicago White Sox (93–69)Cleveland (80–82)Detroit (77–85)Kansas City (74–88)Minnesota (73–89)
2022(3) Cleveland (92–70)Chicago White Sox (81–81)Minnesota (78–84)Detroit (66–96)Kansas City (65–97)
2023(3) Minnesota (87–75)Detroit (78–84)Cleveland (76–86)Chicago White Sox (61–101)Kansas City (56–106)
Notes and Tiebreakers
  • a Minnesota and Anaheim of the American League West were tied for the second and third seed, but the Twins were relegated to the third seed by losing the season series 5–4.
  • b Cleveland and Boston of the American League East were tied for the first and second seed, but the Indians were relegated to the second seed by losing the season series 5–2.
  • c Chicago and Minnesota were tied for the division championship and played in a tie-breaker game. The White Sox won 1–0 to claim the division crown.
  • d Minnesota and Detroit were tied for the division championship and played in a tie-breaker game. The Twins won 6–5 in 12 innings to claim the division crown.
  • e Cleveland and Chicago were tied for the fourth and seventh seed, but the Indians claimed the fourth seed by winning the season series 8–2.

Division championships won by team

Team Championships Last year won Year(s)
Cleveland Indians/Guardians 11 2022 1995–1999, 2001, 2007, 2016–2018, 2022
Minnesota Twins 9 2023 2002–2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2019–2020, 2023
Chicago White Sox 4 2021 2000, 2005, 2008, 2021
Detroit Tigers 4 2014 2011–2014
Kansas City Royals 1 2015 2015
Milwaukee Brewers 0 N/A N/A

Current division members in bold

See also

References

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