Template:1938 American League standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 99 | 53 | .651 | — | 55–22 | 44–31 |
| Boston Red Sox | 88 | 61 | .591 | 9½ | 52–23 | 36–38 |
| Cleveland Indians | 86 | 66 | .566 | 13 | 46–30 | 40–36 |
| Detroit Tigers | 84 | 70 | .545 | 16 | 48–31 | 36–39 |
| Washington Senators | 75 | 76 | .497 | 23½ | 44–33 | 31–43 |
| Chicago White Sox | 65 | 83 | .439 | 32 | 33–39 | 32–44 |
| St. Louis Browns | 55 | 97 | .362 | 44 | 31–43 | 24–54 |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 53 | 99 | .349 | 46 | 28–47 | 25–52 |