American League East

At the end of the Major League Baseball season, the team with the best record in the division earns one of the AL's six playoff spots.

The Minnesota Twins went a step further and objected to switching either the White Sox or Brewers out of fear of losing their closest geographic rivals and the Twins, citing the National League's lack of geographic accuracy (which placed the Atlanta Braves in the NL West) in forming its divisions as a reason why the Rangers should not have been shifted out of the East.

†† – Due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike starting August 12, the season was not played to completion.

By virtue of an expanded eight-team postseason format, the division runner-up Yankees also qualified for the playoffs.

Those teams faced each other in the Wild Card Game to determine the final participant in the American League Division Series.

A one-game playoff was held and the Rays won it 5–2 over the Rangers to capture the second Wild Card berth.

However, the Blue Jays won the right to host the Wild Card Game by virtue of their 10–9 regular-season record against the Orioles.

However, the Red Sox won the right to host the Wild Card Game by virtue of their 10–9 regular-season record against the Yankees.

A partial view of the Green Monster at Fenway Park , with the final standings of the AL East at the conclusion of the 2007 season .
The New York Yankees celebrating their 2009 World Series championship