National League Division Series

In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring the three division winners and the winner of the wild-card play-off.

History

The Division Series was implemented in 1981 – for only one year – as a result of a midseason strike with first-place teams before the strike taking on the first-place teams after. After 1993, Major League Baseball decided to implement the Division Series permanently, because it was restructuring each league into three divisions. (The implementation of this decision, however, was delayed a year, until 1995, due to the 1994–1995 players' strike.[1]) Previously, because of a players' strike in 1981, a split-season format forced a divisional playoff series, in which the Montreal Expos won the Eastern Division series over the Philadelphia Phillies three games to two while the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Houston Astros three games to two in the Western Division. The team with the best overall record in the major leagues, the Cincinnati Reds, failed to win their division in either half of that season and were controversially excluded, as were the St. Louis Cardinals, who finished with the NL's second-best record. The Atlanta Braves have currently played in the most NL division series with thirteen appearances. The St. Louis Cardinals have currently won the most NL division series, winning ten of the thirteen series in which they have played. The Pittsburgh Pirates (who finished with a losing record from 1993 to 2012) were the last team to make their first appearance in the NL division series, making their debut in 2013 after winning the 2013 National League Wild Card Game. In 2008, the Milwaukee Brewers became the first team to play in division series in both leagues when they won the National League wild card, their first postseason berth since winning the American League East Division title in 1982 before switching leagues in 1998. Milwaukee had competed in an American League Division Series in the strike-shortened 1981 season.

Format

The NLDS is a five-game series where the wild-card team is assigned to play the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season. The two remaining divisional winners meet in the other (NLDS) series with the team with the second best winning percentage, hosting that series. (From 1998 to 2011, if the wild-card team and the division winner with the best record were from the same division, the wild-card team played the division winner with the second-best record, and the remaining two division leaders played each other.) The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven NLCS. The winner of the wild card has won the first round seven out of the 11 years since the re-alignment and creation of the NLDS. According to Nate Silver, the advent of this playoff series, and especially of the wild card, has caused teams to focus more on "getting to the playoffs" rather than "winning the pennant" as the primary goal of the regular season.[2]

Initially, the best-of-5 series played in a 2-3 format, with the first two games set at home for the lower-seed team and the last three for the higher seed.[3][4] Since 1998, the series has followed a 2-2-1 format,[5] where the higher seed team plays at home in Games 1 and 2, the lower seed plays at home in Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary), and if a Game 5 is needed, the teams return to the higher seed's field. When MLB added a second wild card team in 2012, the Division Series re-adopted the 2-3 format due to scheduling conflicts. It reverted to the 2-2-1 format from 2013 onwards.[6]

NLDS results

  • Team names link to the season in which each team played
Key
dagger Wild card
Year Winner Manager Loser Manager Wins Losses
1981 Montreal ExposJim FanningPhiladelphia PhilliesDallas Green 32
Los Angeles DodgersTommy LasordaHouston AstrosBill Virdon 32
1995 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxColorado RockiesdaggerDon Baylor 31
Cincinnati RedsDavey JohnsonLos Angeles DodgersTommy Lasorda 30
1996 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxLos Angeles DodgersdaggerBill Russell 30
St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaSan Diego PadresBruce Bochy 30
1997 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxHouston AstrosLarry Dierker 30
Florida MarlinsdaggerJim LeylandSan Francisco GiantsDusty Baker 30
1998 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxChicago CubsdaggerJim Riggleman 30
San Diego PadresBruce BochyHouston AstrosLarry Dierker 31
1999 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxHouston AstrosLarry Dierker 31
New York MetsdaggerBobby ValentineArizona DiamondbacksBuck Showalter 31
2000 St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaAtlanta BravesBobby Cox 30
New York MetsdaggerBobby ValentineSan Francisco GiantsDusty Baker 31
2001 Atlanta BravesBobby CoxHouston AstrosLarry Dierker 30
Arizona DiamondbacksBob BrenlySt. Louis CardinalsdaggerTony La Russa 32
2002 St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaArizona DiamondbacksBob Brenly 30
San Francisco GiantsdaggerDusty BakerAtlanta BravesBobby Cox 32
2003 Chicago CubsDusty BakerAtlanta BravesBobby Cox 32
Florida MarlinsdaggerJack McKeonSan Francisco GiantsFelipe Alou 31
2004 St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaLos Angeles DodgersJim Tracy 31
Houston AstrosdaggerPhil GarnerAtlanta BravesBobby Cox 32
2005 St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaSan Diego PadresBruce Bochy 30
Houston AstrosdaggerPhil GarnerAtlanta BravesBobby Cox 31
2006 New York MetsWillie RandolphLos Angeles DodgersdaggerJim Tracy 30
St. Louis CardinalsTony La RussaSan Diego PadresBruce Bochy 31
2007 Colorado RockiesdaggerClint HurdlePhiladelphia PhilliesCharlie Manuel 30
Arizona DiamondbacksBob MelvinChicago CubsLou Piniella 30
2008 Los Angeles DodgersJoe TorreChicago CubsLou Piniella 30
Philadelphia PhilliesCharlie ManuelMilwaukee BrewersdaggerDale Sveum 31
2009 Los Angeles DodgersJoe TorreSt. Louis CardinalsTony La Russa 30
Philadelphia PhilliesCharlie ManuelColorado RockiesdaggerJim Tracy 31
2010 Philadelphia PhilliesCharlie ManuelCincinnati RedsDusty Baker 30
San Francisco GiantsBruce BochyAtlanta BravesdaggerBobby Cox 31
2011 St. Louis CardinalsdaggerTony La RussaPhiladelphia PhilliesCharlie Manuel 32
Milwaukee BrewersRon RoenickeArizona DiamondbacksKirk Gibson 32
2012 San Francisco GiantsBruce BochyCincinnati RedsDusty Baker 32
St. Louis CardinalsdaggerMike MathenyWashington NationalsDavey Johnson 32
2013 St. Louis CardinalsMike MathenyPittsburgh PiratesdaggerClint Hurdle 32
Los Angeles DodgersDon MattinglyAtlanta BravesFredi González 31
2014 St. Louis CardinalsMike MathenyLos Angeles DodgersDon Mattingly 31
San Francisco GiantsdaggerBruce BochyWashington NationalsMatt Williams 31
2015 New York MetsTerry CollinsLos Angeles DodgersDon Mattingly 32
Chicago CubsdaggerJoe MaddonSt. Louis CardinalsMike Matheny 31
2016 Los Angeles DodgersDave RobertsWashington NationalsDusty Baker 32
Chicago CubsJoe MaddonSan Francisco GiantsdaggerBruce Bochy 31
2017 Chicago CubsJoe MaddonWashington NationalsDusty Baker 32
Los Angeles DodgersDave RobertsArizona DiamondbacksdaggerTorey Lovullo 30
2018 Milwaukee BrewersCraig CounsellColorado Rockies daggerBud Black 30
Los Angeles DodgersDave RobertsAtlanta BravesBrian Snitker 31

NLDS appearances

Series
appearances		 Team Wins Losses Win % Most recent
win		 Most recent
appearance		 Games
won		 Games
lost		 Game
win %
14Atlanta Braves67.462200120182723.540
13St. Louis Cardinals103.769201420153318.647
13Los Angeles Dodgers76.538201820182524.510
8San Francisco Giants44.500201420161518.455
7Houston Astros25.286200520051018.357
7Chicago Cubs43.571201720171215.444
6Philadelphia Phillies33.500201020111311.542
6Arizona Diamondbacks24.33320072017914.391
5Washington Nationals14.200198120171014.417
4New York Mets401.00020152015124.750
4San Diego Padres13.25019982006410.286
4Colorado Rockies13.2502007201859.357
3Cincinnati Reds12.3331995201256.455
3Milwaukee Brewers21.6672018201875.583
2Miami Marlins201.0002003200361.857
1Pittsburgh Pirates01.000-201323.400

Frequent matchups

Count Matchup Record Years
5 Atlanta Braves vs. Houston Astros Braves, 3–2 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005
3 San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals Cardinals, 3–0 1996, 2005, 2006
3 St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Cardinals, 2–1 2004, 2009, 2014
3 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves Dodgers, 2–1 1996, 2013, 2018
2 St. Louis Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Tied, 1–1 2001, 2002
2 Florida Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants Marlins, 2–0 1997, 2003
2 Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves Tied, 1–1 1998, 2003
2 Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies Tied, 1–1 2007, 2009
2 San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves Giants, 2–0 2002, 2010
2 New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Mets, 2–0 2006, 2015

NOTE: With the Houston Astros move to the American League at the conclusion of the 2012 season, the Braves vs Astros series is not currently possible.

See also

Notes

  • 1996, 1997, & 2007 are the years in which the National League Division Series finished in sweeps in both series.
  1. ↑ See: Division Series § 1993-1994: Proposal, realignment, and cancellation of 1994 postseason.
  2. ↑ Nate Silver, "Selig's Dream: The Wild Card as Enabler of Pennant Races," in Steven Goldman, Ed., It Ain't Over 'til It's Over (New York: Basic Books): 170-178.
  3. ↑ 1984 NL Championship Series, Baseball-Reference.com
  4. ↑ 1997 AL Division Series, Baseball-Reference.com
  5. ↑ Gillette, Gary; Palmer, Pete, eds. (2006). "October Classics: Postseason Series and Playoffs". The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 1656.
  6. ↑ Sporting News (2012-03-02). "MLB expands playoff field to 10 teams with addition of two wild cards". Retrieved 2013-10-28.
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