The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is the heavy-hitter of October baseball. It's that high-stakes bridge between the division battles and the World Series. Honestly, if you're just tuning in after a long summer, the math can get a little fuzzy with all the different playoff rounds.
Basically, the ALCS is a best-of-seven series.
First team to win four games moves on to the World Series. The other team goes home. It’s brutal, it’s long, and it’s designed to make sure the "fluke" wins of a short series don't decide who wins the pennant. But there is a lot more to the "how many games" question than just the number seven.
The Best-of-Seven Breakdown
You’ve probably noticed that every series in the later rounds of the MLB postseason follows this seven-game format. The ALCS, the NLCS, and the World Series are all identical in this way. Why? Because baseball is a game of high variance. In a three-game series, a single bad call or one cold pitcher can ruin a 100-win season. By the time we get to the ALCS, MLB wants to ensure the truly better team survives.
The series follows a 2-3-2 format.
- Games 1 and 2: Played at the stadium of the higher seed (home-field advantage).
- Games 3, 4, and 5: Played at the lower seed's home park.
- Games 6 and 7: Back to the higher seed's stadium (if necessary).
I say "if necessary" because, while the ALCS is scheduled for seven games, it rarely goes the distance. If a team comes out swinging and wins the first four games straight, the series is over in a sweep. No Game 5. No trip back home for Game 6. Just a trophy and a flight to the World Series.
It Wasn't Always Seven Games
If you’re talking to a baseball purist or someone who grew up watching the game in the 70s, they might remember things differently. That's because they’re right. From 1969—when the ALCS was actually born—until 1984, the series was a best-of-five.
Back then, you only needed three wins to clinch the American League pennant. In 1985, the league wised up. They realized that more games meant more drama and, let's be real, more television revenue. Since that shift in '85, we’ve stuck with the seven-game gauntlet.
There have been some legendary marathons since the change. Take the 2025 ALCS, for example. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners fought a literal war that went the full seven games. It ended with a dramatic Game 7 win for Toronto at Rogers Centre, punctuated by a George Springer home run that people in Ontario are probably still screaming about.
Home Field Advantage and the 2026 Outlook
Looking ahead to the 2026 season, the rules remain firm. The postseason starts on September 29, 2026, and the ALCS will once again be that pivotal seven-game stretch in mid-October.
Who gets home-field advantage? It’s not about who had the better "story" or even who won their division by more games. It comes down to the regular-season record. The higher-seeded team—usually the one with the most wins—hosts those crucial first two games and the potential "do-or-die" Games 6 and 7.
One thing that trips people up is the Wild Card factor. Under the current 12-team playoff structure implemented a few years back, a Wild Card team can host the ALCS if they are playing another Wild Card team with a worse record, or if they happen to be the higher seed remaining. However, the top two seeds in the American League get a "bye" during the Wild Card round, meaning they are rested and much more likely to be the ones hosting Game 1 of the ALCS.
Common Misconceptions About the ALCS Length
People often ask if there’s a "mercy rule" or if travel days affect the number of games. No. The schedule is set. Even if a team is winning by 15 runs in Game 4 to complete a sweep, they play all nine innings.
Another weird quirk: extra innings. A single "game" in the ALCS isn't always just nine innings. Since there are no ties in playoff baseball, a game lasts until someone wins. We’ve seen 15, 16, even 18-inning marathons in the postseason. While it counts as "one game" on the record, for the players' arms and the fans' nerves, it feels like three.
Key things to remember about the ALCS format:
- Maximum games: 7
- Minimum games: 4 (the sweep)
- Wins needed to advance: 4
- Format: 2-3-2 (Home-Away-Home)
Why the Seven-Game Format Matters
If you're a bettor or just a die-hard fan, the length of the series changes everything. In a short series, you can ride one "ace" pitcher twice. In a seven-game ALCS, you need a full rotation. You need a bullpen that doesn't collapse by Game 5.
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Teams like the New York Yankees or the Houston Astros, who have historically dominated this round, usually do so because they have the depth to survive ten days of high-pressure baseball. It's a test of endurance as much as skill.
If you are planning your October around the ALCS, always block out that full week. Most series end in five or six games, but the ones that go to seven—like that 2023 Rangers-Astros clash or the recent Blue Jays-Mariners battle—are why we watch the sport in the first place.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the 2026 Bracket: Once the regular season ends on September 27, 2026, immediately look at the seeding to see which AL teams secured the first-round byes.
- Monitor Pitching Rotations: Since the ALCS can go 7 games, track which teams are "saving" their ace for a potential Game 1 vs. using them in the Division Series (ALDS).
- Verify Travel Days: Usually, there is a travel day between Game 2 and Game 3, and another between Game 5 and Game 6. This is when managers reset their bullpens.