Baseball's Division Champions, 1876-2018

Yesterday, for the 1st time in MLB history, there were 2 Division titles that had to be settled by Playoffs: The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs to win the National League Central, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies to win the NL West.

For this list, I am counting, even if Major League Baseball does not do so officially:

* Pennants in the single-division Leagues prior to 1969.

* The split-season Divisional Champions of 1981.

* The teams that had the best overall record in each Division in 1981, even if they didn't make the Playoffs under the format in place that year.

* The teams that were in first place when the Strike of 1994 hit.

* The teams that lost Playoffs for the Pennant in the single-division era (1901-1968).

It does not, however, count Pennants won as Wild Card entries.

All ties in this ranking are broken by most recent finish. This season's Division winners in bold.

1. New York Yankees, 48: 1921, '22, '23, '26, '27, '28, '32, '36, '37, '38, '39, '41, '42, '43, '47, '49, '50, '51, '52, '53, '55, '56, '57, '58, '60, '61, '62, '63, '64, '76, '77, '78, '80, '81 (1st-half and overall winners), '94 (led when strike hit), '96, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '09, '11, '12.

2. St. Louis Cardinals, 30: 1885, '86, '87, '88, 1926, '28, '30, '31, '34, '42, '43, '44, '46, '64, '67, '68, '81 (aggregate winners but didn't lead in either half), '82, '85, '87, '96, 2000, '01, '02, '04, '05, '06, '09, '13, '14, '15.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers, 24: 1959, '62, '63, '65, '66, '74, '77, '78, '80, '81 (1st-half and overall winners), '83, '85, '88, '94 (led when strike hit), '95, 2004, '08, '09, '13, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18. Previously reached as Brooklyn Dodgers in 1889, '90, '99, 1900, '16, '20, '41, '46, '47, '49, '51, '52, '53, '55 and '56 -- total, 38.

4. Chicago Cubs, 23: 1876, '80, '81, '82, '85, '86, 1906, '07, '08, '10, '18, '29, '32, '35, '38, '45, '84, '89, 2003, '07, '08, '16, '17.

5. Boston Red Sox, 20: 1903, '04, '12, '15, '16, '18, '46, '48, '67, '75, '78, '86, '88, '90, '95, 2007, '13, '16, '17, '18.

6. Atlanta Braves, 18: 1969, '82, '91, '92, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '13, '18. Previously reached as Boston Braves in 1877, '78, '83, '91, '92, '93, '97, '98, 1914 and '48; and as Milwaukee Braves in 1957, '58 and '59 -- total, 31.

7. Cincinnati Reds, 18: 1882, 1919, '39, '40, '61, 1970, '72, '73, '75, '76, '79, '81 (aggregate winners but didn't lead in either half), '90, '94 (led when strike hit), '95, 2010, '12, '13.
8. Pittsburgh Pirates, 16: 1901, '02, '03, '09, '25, '27, '60, '70, '71, '72, '74, '75, '79, '90, '91, '92.

9. Oakland Athletics, 16: 1971, '72, '73, '74, '75, '81 (1st-half and overall winners), '88, '89, '90, '92, 2000, '02, '03, '06, '12, '13. Previously reached as Philadelphia Athletics in 1902, '05, '10, '11, '13, '14, '29, '30 and '31 -- total, 25.

10. Detroit Tigers, 15: 1907, '08, '09, '34, '35, '40, '45, '68, '72, '84, '87, 2011, '12, '13, '14.

11. Philadelphia Phillies, 14: 1915, '50, '76, '77, '78, '80, '81 (1st-half), '83, '93, 2007, '08, '09, '10, '11.

12. Cleveland Indians, 13: 1920, '48, '54, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2001, '07, '16, '17, '18.

13. Minnesota Twins, 11: 1965, '69, '70, '87, '91, 2002, '03, '04, '06, '09, '10. Previously reached as Washington Senators in 1924, '25 and '33 -- total, 14.
15. Baltimore Orioles, 10: 1966, '69, '70, '71, '73, '74, '79, '83, '97, 2014. Previously reached as St. Louis Browns in 1944, for a total of 11.

16. Houston Astros, 9: 1980, '81 (2nd-half winners), '86, '97, '98, '99, 2001, '17, '18.

17. San Francisco Giants, 9: 1962, '71, '87, '89, '97, 2000, '03, '10, '12. Previously reached as New York Giants in 1888, '89, 1904, '05, '08, '11, '12, '13, '17, '21, '22, '23, '24, '33, '36, '37, '51 and '54 -- total, 26.

18. Kansas City Royals, 9: 1976, '77, '78, '80, '81 (2nd-half winners), '84, '85, 2014, '15.

19. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9: 1979, '82, '86, '95, 2004, '05, '07, '08, '09, '14.

20. Texas Rangers, 8: 1994 (led when strike hit), '96, '98, '99, 2010, '11, '15, '16.

21. Toronto Blue Jays, 6: 1985, '89, '91, '92, '93, 2015.

22. New York Mets, 6: 1969, '73, '86, '88, 2006, '15.
23. San Diego Padres, 6: 1984, '96, '98, 2005, '06, '07.

24. Arizona Diamondbacks, 5: 1999, 2001, '02, '07, '11.

25. Milwaukee Brewers, 4: 1981 (2nd-half winners), '82, 2011, '18.

26. Washington Nationals, 4: 2012, '14, '16, '17. Also won NL East as Montreal Expos in 1981 (2nd-half and overall winners) and '94 (led when strike hit) -- total, 5.

27. Seattle Mariners, 3: 1995, '97, 2001.

28. Tampa Bay Rays, 2: 2008, '11.

29. Colorado Rockies, 0: 4 Playoff appearances, all via the Wild Card.

30. Miami Marlins, 0: 2 Playoff appearances, both via the Wild Card.

Leading their respective Divisions are: In the American League, the Yankees, Detroit and Oakland; in the National League, Atlanta, St. Louis and Los Angeles.

Last Division Title by Each Team:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers, 2018
2. Boston Red Sox, 2018
3. Cleveland Indians, 2018
4. Houston Astros, 2018
5. Atlanta Braves, 2018
6. Milwaukee Brewers, 2018
7. Chicago Cubs, 2017
8. Washington Nationals, 2017
9. Texas Rangers, 2016
10. St. Louis Cardinals, 2015
11. Kansas City Royals, 2015
12. Toronto Blue Jays, 2015
13. New York Mets, 2015
14. Detroit Tigers, 2014
15. Baltimore Orioles, 2014
16. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2014
18. Cincinnati Reds, 2013
18. Oakland Athletics, 2013
19. New York Yankees, 2012
20. San Francisco Giants, 2012
21. Philadelphia Phillies, 2011
22. Arizona Diamondbacks, 2011
23. Tampa Bay Rays, 2011
24. Minnesota Twins, 2010
25. Chicago White Sox, 2008
26. San Diego Padres, 2007
27. Seattle Mariners, 2001
28. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1992
29. Colorado Rockies, none
30. Miami Marlins, none

So, as you can see, 18 of the other 29 teams -- more than 62 percent of Major League Baseball -- has won a Division title since the Yankees last did so, including the crosstown Mets, the arch-rival Red Sox, and Divisional opponents the Blue Jays and the Orioles.

That is unacceptable.