With their 2-0 win against the Red Sox Sept. 28, the Baltimore Orioles clinched the AL East title.
It is Baltimore’s first division crown since 2014 and their 10th since the AL East was created in 1969.
By clinching the AL East and a better record than the AL Central winner (Minnesota) and the AL West winner (whether it’s Texas, Houston or Seattle), the Orioles have also locked up the No. 1 seed in the American League.
With the No. 1 seed in the AL, Baltimore earns a first-round bye and will have home-field advantage up until the World Series (and potentially then, too, depending on the NL winner). The Orioles will open the playoffs at home for the American League Division Series on Saturday, Oct. 7 against the winner of the wild-card round matchup between the first and second wild-card teams. (The third wild-card team will face the division winner with the worst record, currently Minnesota.)
With the win, the Orioles improved to 100-59 on the season, winning 100 games for just the sixth time in franchise history. The 1969 Orioles hold the franchise record with 109 wins (109-53), followed by the 1970 O’s with 108 (108-54). The Orioles also won 100 games in 1979 (102-57), 1971 (101-57) and 1980 (100-62).
Orioles’ AL East Titles:
| Year | Reg. Season Record | Playoff Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
| 2014 | 96-66 | Won ALDS vs. Tigers (3-0), Lost ALCS to Royals (4-0) |
| 1997 | 98-64 | Won ALDS vs. Mariners (3-1), Lost ALCS to Indians (4-2) |
| 1983 | 98-64 | Won ALCS vs. White Sox (3-1), Won World Series vs. Phillies (4-1) |
| 1979 | 102-57 | Won ALCS vs. Angels (3-1), Lost World Series to Pirates (4-3) |
| 1974 | 91-71 | Lost ALCS to Athletics (3-1) |
| 1973 | 97-65 | Lost ALCS to Athletics (3-2) |
| 1971 | 101-57 | Won ALCS vs. Athletics (3-0), Lost World Series to Pirates (4-3) |
| 1970 | 108-54 | Won ALCS vs. Twins (3-0), Won World Series vs. Reds (4-1) |
| 1969 | 109-53 | Won ALCS vs. Twins (3-0), Lost World Series to Mets (4-1) |
The Orioles also won the American League pennant in 1966 (before there were divisions), finishing the regular season with a 97-63 mark and defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox