They're saying it's the 1st time they've ever won back-to-back AL East titles. This is true. But it's not their 1st back-to-back 1st place finishes. They also did it in 1903-04 and 1915-16.
Reminder: Joe Girardi cost the Yankees 22 wins this season with dumb pitching decisions. If that number had been "only" 18, it would have been the Yankees who clinched the AL East today.
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, 23: 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. 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, 19: 1903, '04, '12, '15, '16, '18, '46, '48, '67, '75, '78, '86, '88, '90, '95, 2007, '13, '16, '17.
6. 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. Atlanta Braves, 17: 1969, '82, '91, '92, '93, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2000, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '13. 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, 30.
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, 12: 1920, '48, '54, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, 2001, '07, '16, '17.
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.
14. Chicago White Sox, 11: 1901, '06, '17, '19, '59, '83, '93, '94 (led when strike hit), 2000, '05, '08.
16. 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.
17. Kansas City Royals, 9: 1976, '77, '78, '80, '81 (2nd-half winners), '84, '85, 2014, '15.
18. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 9: 1979, '82, '86, '95, 2004, '05, '07, '08, '09, '14.
21. Toronto Blue Jays, 6: 1985, '89, '91, '92, '93, 2015.
22. New York Mets, 6: 1969, '73, '86, '88, 2006, '15.
24. Arizona Diamondbacks, 5: 1999, 2001, '02, '07, '11.
25. 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.
26. Milwaukee Brewers, 3: 1981 (2nd-half winners), '82, 2011.
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, 2017
2. Chicago Cubs, 2017
3. Boston Red Sox, 2017
4. Cleveland Indians, 2017
5. Houston Astros, 2017
6. Washington Nationals, 2017
7. Texas Rangers, 2016
8. St. Louis Cardinals, 2015
9. Kansas City Royals, 2015
10. Toronto Blue Jays, 2015
11. New York Mets, 2015
12. Detroit Tigers, 2014
13. Baltimore Orioles, 2014
14. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2014
15. Cincinnati Reds, 2013
16. Atlanta Braves, 2013
17. Oakland Athletics, 2013
18. New York Yankees, 2012
19. San Francisco Giants, 2012
20. Philadelphia Phillies, 2011
21. Milwaukee Brewers, 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, more than half 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.
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