The 1996 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 1996 American League playoffs, matched the Eastern Division champion New York Yankees against the Wild Card team, the Baltimore Orioles. The Yankees had the home field advantage; the advantage was predetermined, and assigned to the Central Division champion or their opponent in the previous round unless that opponent was the wild card team and was victorious (the wild card team was then prohibited from having home field advantage in any round of the AL playoffs).