Due to a mid-season players' strike, the season was divided into a first half and a second half. The division winner of each half played each other in a five-game divisional series. The Cincinnati Reds, despite having the best overall record during the season, finished 2nd in both halves, so did not qualify for the post-season.

AL

East

TEAMWLPctGB
y 1981 Milwaukee Brewers LogoMilwaukee 6247.569-
1981 Baltimore Orioles LogoBaltimore 5946.5621.0
y 1981 New York Yankees LogoNY Yankees 5948.5512.0
1981 Detroit Tigers LogoDetroit 6049.5502.0
1981 Boston Red Sox LogoBoston 5949.5462.5
1981 Cleveland Indians LogoCleveland 5251.5057.0
1981 Toronto Blue Jays LogoToronto 3769.34923.5

West

TEAMWLPctGB
y 1981 Oakland Athletics LogoOakland 6445.587-
1981 Texas Rangers LogoTexas 5748.5435.0
1981 Chicago White Sox LogoChi. White Sox 5452.5098.5
y 1981 Kansas City Royals LogoKansas City 5053.48511.0
1981 California Angels LogoCalifornia 5159.46413.5
1981 Seattle Mariners LogoSeattle 4465.40420.0
1981 Minnesota Twins LogoMinnesota 4168.37623.0

NL

East

TEAMWLPctGB
1981 St. Louis Cardinals LogoStL Cardinals 5943.578-
y 1981 Montreal Expos LogoMontreal 6048.5562.0
y 1981 Philadelphia Phillies LogoPhiladelphia 5948.5512.5
1981 Pittsburgh Pirates LogoPittsburgh 4656.45113.0
1981 New York Mets LogoNY Mets 4162.39818.5
1981 Chicago Cubs LogoChi. Cubs 3865.36921.5

West

TEAMWLPctGB
1981 Cincinnati Reds LogoCincinnati 6642.611-
y 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers LogoLA Dodgers   6347.5734.0
y 1981 Houston Astros LogoHouston 6149.5556.0
1981 San Francisco Giants LogoSan Francisco 5655.50511.5
1981 Atlanta Braves LogoAtlanta 5056.47215.0
1981 San Diego Padres LogoSan Diego 4169.37326.0