The American League wild card round has had two very different shapes. From 2012 to 2019 and again in 2021 it was the AL Wild Card Game: one night, two wild card teams, winner advances. Since 2022 — and for the one-off 2020 postseason — it has been the American League Wild Card Series, a best-of-three between four teams.
AL Wild Card Games, 2012–2021
| Year | Visitor | Score | Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Baltimore Orioles | 5–1 | Texas Rangers |
| 2013 | Tampa Bay Rays | 4–0 | Cleveland Indians |
| 2014 | Oakland Athletics | 8–9 (12) | Kansas City Royals |
| 2015 | Houston Astros | 3–0 | New York Yankees |
| 2016 | Baltimore Orioles | 2–5 (11) | Toronto Blue Jays |
| 2017 | Minnesota Twins | 4–8 | New York Yankees |
| 2018 | Oakland Athletics | 2–7 | New York Yankees |
| 2019 | Tampa Bay Rays | 5–1 | Oakland Athletics |
| 2021 | New York Yankees | 2–6 | Boston Red Sox |
Two of these games needed extra innings, and both were won by the home team: Kansas City in 12 in 2014 and Toronto in 11 in 2016. Yankee Stadium hosted the game three times in four years.
AL Wild Card Series since 2020
Fourteen American League series have been played: four in the expanded 2020 format and two in each year from 2022 to 2026. Recent winners:
| Year | Series winners |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Cleveland Guardians; Seattle Mariners |
| 2023 | Minnesota Twins; Texas Rangers |
| 2024 | Detroit Tigers; Kansas City Royals |
| 2025 | Detroit Tigers; New York Yankees |
| 2026 | Chicago White Sox; New York Yankees |
The full table, including the 2020 series, is on MLB wild card series history.
2026 in the American League
The Houston Astros hosted as the No. 3 seed at 81–81, the first division winner ever to reach the playoffs without a winning record, and were swept by the No. 6 seed Chicago White Sox, 6–3 and 7–3. The No. 4 seed New York Yankees swept the No. 5 seed Boston Red Sox 9–0 and 9–2. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians had byes; the White Sox went on to face Cleveland and the Yankees faced Tampa Bay in the Division Series.
Appearances
The New York Yankees lead the round with seven appearances and five wins. Tampa Bay has five appearances, and the Athletics, Blue Jays, Guardians and Astros have four each. The Los Angeles Angels are the only MLB franchise that has never played in the wild card round in either format.
For the senior circuit, see the NL wild card game.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Wild Card Series” and “2026 American League Wild Card Series”; MLB.com, “How MLB playoffs work” FAQ.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is there still an AL Wild Card Game?
Not as a single game. The American League's wild card round has been a best-of-three Wild Card Series since 2022, after single games from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021.
Which AL team has played in the wild card round most often?
The New York Yankees, with seven appearances and five round wins through 2026.
Who won the 2026 AL wild card round?
The Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros 2–0 and the New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox 2–0.