AL East Winners By Year

The 2022 season was the 120th season for one of the most famous American League East teams, the New York Yankees and the AL East champions that year.

When we talk about baseball, even those who do not watch the MLB have heard of the New York Yankees. They are based out of the New York City borough of the Bronx and were established in 1903.

The Yankees are the most successful MLB team in history with 27 World Series titles and have appeared at the grand stage a record 40 times. They first won it in 1923 and their last was in 2009.

They ended the regular season with a 99-63 record and were the division leaders. They beat the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS and then lost the ALCS to the Houston Astros.

The team from New York has 20 AL East Division titles in its history with their first win in 1976. They last won the title in 2019 before their recent win last season. They were the most dominant in the division in the early 2000s.

AL East Division titles (20) - 1976-78, 1980-81, 1996, 1998-99, 2000-2006, 2009, 2011-12, 2019, 2022.

Among the AL East players in the 2022 season, Aaron Judge was named the AL MVP. He had recorded 62 homers, 131 RBIs, and batted .311/425/.686.

The Yankees also have the record for the most number of losses by an AL team at the World Series with 13 losses. They are currently having a disaster of a season in the ongoing 2023 regular season as they sit last in the division with a 54-48 record.

The Tampa Bay Rays are relatively a young team in the MLB. They were established in 1998 and are based out of the Tampa Bay area. They were previously known as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays till 2007.

Since the team is just 25 years into the MLB, they have not won much in its short history. The 2021 AL East champions have won four division titles in 2008, 2010, and 2020. They also have 2 AL Pennants in 2008 and 2020.

The Rays had an amazing 2021 season as they ended it with a 100-62 record and a 0.617 winning percentage. They did not perform well in the division series as they lost 1-3 to the Boston Red Sox ending their postseason journey.

They have made two World Series Appearances and have lost both of them and have been their best seasons. The 2020 season in particular as they reached the finals from a wild card berth. They are currently 62-43 in the 2023 MLB season and are second in the division.

Another successful franchise among the AL East MLB teams is the Boston Red Sox. They won the inaugural World Series title in 1903 and have nine titles to date. 

The Sox were not only the Division champions in 2018 but also went on to win the ALCS and then the biggest prize, the World Series after they defeated the LA Dodgers 4-1.

They have won the AL East division titles on ten occasions with their first win coming in 1975. Since 2018, they have not won the title. They have made 13 World Series appearances and their last was the title-winning year in 2018.

AL East division titles (10) - 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2007, 2013, 2016-18.

They had a tough competition with the Yankees for the division title since they were second only by a small margin. The Sox had a 108-54 record in the regular season. The 2023 season is not looking good as they sit 4th on the table with a 55-47 record.

The Toronto Blue Jays since its establishment in 1977 have won six division titles, two AL Pennants, and two World Series in its comparatively short history.

The Jays are only 46, which is quite young for the MLB since there are teams that are more than a century old. They were division leaders in 2015 as they concluded the regular season with a 93-69 record. 

They won the division series in the playoffs but lost the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals and missed out on their third World Series appearance. They won the AL East division titles in 1985, 1989, 1991-93, and 2015.

They played two consecutive World Series in 1992 and 1993 and maintained a perfect record at the finals winning both the series. The 1993 win over the Phillies also happened to be their last.

The Jays are currently third in the division with a 57-46 record and are 5½ games back of the leaders, the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles are currently leading the division and could well become the AL East Division winners of the 2023 MLB season, which would be their tenth title.

The O's were established in 1894 and have been part of the AL since 1901 and are members of the East Division since 1969. In addition to nine division titles, they also have seven AL Pennants to their name.

They dominated the division back in 2014 when they finished the season with a 96-66 record and the runners-up were 12 games behind them. They later won the division series but lost the championship series in the playoffs.

They have featured in seven World Series and have three titles in 1966, 1970, and 1983. Their last win was also their last appearance in the series. They won their division titles in 1969, 1970-71, 1973-74, 1979, 19893, 1997, and 2014.

Although they are leading the division, the Rays are not far behind as they are only 1½ games behind. The O's have to maintain their record to once again become division champions.

The Detroit Tigers similar to the O's were established in 1894 and have been in the AL since 1901. They were part of the East Division from 1969-1997 and are currently members of the AL Central Division.

The Bengals have tasted success in its rich history which includes four World Series titles in 1935, 1045, 1968, and 1984. They have 11 AL Pennants with their first in 1907 and last in 2012.

They have three division titles to their name which they won in 1972, 1984, and 1987. They have also added four division titles (Central) since they moved.

They had a decent season in 1987 in which they ended with a 98-64 record and just makes the cut for the 10 best Detroit Tigers seasons in its history.

The Brew Crew was established in 1969 and since then has not won much when it comes to titles. Their performances have not been up to the mark in its history although they are currently at the top of their division.

The MLB franchise has had several affiliations and started with being members of the AL from 1969-1997 and was part of the West Division from 1969-1971, East Division from 1972-1993, and Central Division from 1994-1997. They are currently members of the NL Central Division since 1998.

They have been winners of the AL East Division once in 1982. The 1981 MLB strike resulted in a split season with the Yankees winning the first half and the Brewers winning the second half. The Brewers were later defeated by the Yankees in the postseason.

The Brewers' finish as the top team in the second half did not earn them a division title as they were defeated in the playoffs. They had a close division title win in the 1982 season and also went on to win the ALCS but lost the closely contested World Series to the Cardinals.