National League Championship Series


The National League Championship Series is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National League Division Series. The winner of the NLCS wins the NL pennant and advances to the World Series, MLB's championship series, to play the winner of the American League's Championship Series. The NLCS began in 1969 as a best-of-five playoff and used this format until 1985, when it changed to its current best-of-seven format.

History

Prior to 1969, the National League champion was determined by the best win-loss record at the end of the regular season. There were four ad hoc three-game playoff series due to ties under this formulation.
A structured postseason series began in 1969, when both the National and American Leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, East and West. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advance to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.
The NLCS and ALCS, since the expansion to seven games, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home field advantage, and games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not. Home field advantage is given to the team that has the better record, except that the team that made the postseason as the Wild Card shall not get home field advantage. From 1969 to 1993, home field advantage was alternated between divisions each year regardless of regular season record and from 1995 to 1997 home field advantage was predetermined before the season.
In 1981, a one-off divisional series was held due to a split season caused by a players' strike.
In 1994, the league was restructured into three divisions, with the three division winners and a wild-card team advancing to a best-of-five postseason round, the now-permanent National League Division Series. The winners of that round advance to the best-of-seven NLCS.
The Milwaukee Brewers, an American League team between 1969 and 1997, and the Houston Astros, a National League team between 1962 and 2012, are the only franchises to play in both the ALCS and NLCS. The Astros are the only team to have won both an NLCS and an ALCS. The Astros made four NLCS appearances before moving to the AL in 2013. Every current National League franchise has appeared in the NLCS.

Championship Trophy

The Warren C. Giles Trophy, named for the president of the NL from 1951 to 1969, is awarded to the NLCS winner.

Most Valuable Player Award

A Most Valuable Player award is given to the outstanding player in the ALCS. No MVP award is given for Division Series play.
The MVP award has been given to a player on the losing team twice, in 1986 to Mike Scott of the Houston Astros and in 1987 to Jeffrey Leonard of the San Francisco Giants.
Although the National League began its LCS MVP award in 1977, the American League did not begin its LCS MVP award until 1980. The winners are listed in several locations:
;Key
wcDenotes wild-card team
*Denotes MVP did not play for winning team

YearWinnerManagerLoserManagerRecordSeries MVPNetwork
1969New York MetsAtlanta Braves3–0 NBC
1970Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates3–0 NBC
1971Pittsburgh PiratesSan Francisco Giants3–1 NBC
1972Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates3–2 NBC
1973New York MetsCincinnati Reds3–2 NBC
1974Los Angeles DodgersPittsburgh Pirates3–1 NBC
1975Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates3–0 NBC
1976Cincinnati RedsPhiladelphia Phillies3–0 ABC
1977Los Angeles DodgersPhiladelphia Phillies3–1Dusty Baker, Los AngelesNBC
1978Los Angeles DodgersPhiladelphia Phillies3–1Steve Garvey, Los AngelesABC
1979Pittsburgh PiratesCincinnati Reds3–0Willie Stargell, PittsburghNBC
1980Philadelphia PhilliesHouston Astros3–2Manny Trillo, PhiladelphiaABC
1981Los Angeles DodgersMontreal Expos3–2Burt Hooton, Los AngelesNBC
1982St. Louis CardinalsAtlanta Braves3–0Darrell Porter, St. LouisABC
1983Philadelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Dodgers3–1Gary Matthews, PhiladelphiaNBC
1984San Diego PadresChicago Cubs3–2Steve Garvey, San DiegoABC
1985St. Louis CardinalsLos Angeles Dodgers4–2Ozzie Smith, St. LouisNBC
1986New York MetsHouston Astros4–2Mike Scott, Houston*ABC
1987St. Louis CardinalsSan Francisco Giants4–3Jeffrey Leonard, San Francisco*NBC
1988Los Angeles DodgersNew York Mets4–3Orel Hershiser, Los AngelesABC
1989San Francisco GiantsChicago Cubs4–1Will Clark, San FranciscoNBC
1990Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates4–2Rob Dibble and Randy Myers, CincinnatiCBS
1991Atlanta BravesPittsburgh Pirates4–3Steve Avery, AtlantaCBS
1992Atlanta BravesPittsburgh Pirates4–3John Smoltz, AtlantaCBS
1993Philadelphia PhilliesAtlanta Braves4–2Curt Schilling, PhiladelphiaCBS
1994Series cancelled——————
1995Atlanta BravesCincinnati Reds4–0Mike Devereaux, AtlantaABC/NBC
1996Atlanta BravesSt. Louis Cardinals4–3Javy López, AtlantaFox
1997Florida Marlins Atlanta Braves4–2Liván Hernández, FloridaNBC
1998San Diego PadresAtlanta Braves4–2Sterling Hitchcock, San DiegoFox
1999Atlanta BravesNew York Mets 4–2Eddie Pérez, AtlantaNBC
2000New York Mets St. Louis Cardinals4–1Mike Hampton, New YorkFox
2001Arizona DiamondbacksAtlanta Braves4–1Craig Counsell, ArizonaFox
2002San Francisco Giants St. Louis Cardinals4–1Benito Santiago, San FranciscoFox
2003Florida Marlins Chicago Cubs4–3Iván Rodríguez, FloridaFox
2004St. Louis CardinalsHouston Astros 4–3Albert Pujols, St. LouisFox
2005Houston Astros St. Louis Cardinals4–2Roy Oswalt, HoustonFox
2006St. Louis CardinalsNew York Mets4–3Jeff Suppan, St. LouisFox
2007Colorado Rockies Arizona Diamondbacks4–0Matt Holliday, ColoradoTBS
2008Philadelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Dodgers4–1Cole Hamels, PhiladelphiaFox
2009Philadelphia PhilliesLos Angeles Dodgers4–1Ryan Howard, PhiladelphiaTBS
2010San Francisco GiantsPhiladelphia Phillies4–2Cody Ross, San FranciscoFox
2011St. Louis Cardinals Milwaukee Brewers4–2David Freese, St. LouisTBS
2012San Francisco GiantsSt. Louis Cardinals 4–3Marco Scutaro, San FranciscoFox
2013St. Louis CardinalsLos Angeles Dodgers4–2Michael Wacha, St. LouisTBS
2014San Francisco GiantsSt. Louis Cardinals4–1Madison Bumgarner, San FranciscoFox/FS1
2015New York MetsChicago Cubs 4–0Daniel Murphy, New YorkTBS
2016Chicago CubsLos Angeles Dodgers4–2Javier Báez and Jon Lester, ChicagoFS1
2017Los Angeles DodgersChicago Cubs4–1Chris Taylor and Justin Turner, Los AngelesTBS
2018Los Angeles DodgersMilwaukee Brewers4–3Cody Bellinger, Los AngelesFox/FS1
2019Washington NationalsSt. Louis Cardinals4–0Howie Kendrick, WashingtonTBS

NLCS appearances by team

AppsTeamWinsLossesWin %Most recent
win		Most recent
appearance		Games
won		Games
lost		Game
win %
14St. Louis Cardinals77201320193843
13Los Angeles Dodgers76201820182932
11Atlanta Braves56199920012733
9Philadelphia Phillies54200920102220
9Pittsburgh Pirates27197919921725
8Cincinnati Reds53199019951814
8New York Mets53201520152617
7San Francisco Giants52201420142415
6Chicago Cubs15201620171121
4Houston Astros13200520051113
2Miami Marlins202003200385
2San Diego Padres201998199874
2Arizona Diamondbacks112001200745
2Milwaukee Brewers02-201858
2Washington Nationals112019201963
1Colorado Rockies102007200740

Years of appearance - NLCS

In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Season" column, bold years indicate winning NLCS appearances.
TeamWinsLossesWin %Season
14St. Louis Cardinals771982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019
13Los Angeles Dodgers761974, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1988, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
11Atlanta Braves561969, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
9Philadelphia Phillies541976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2010
9Pittsburgh Pirates271970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992
8Cincinnati Reds531970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1990, 1995
8New York Mets531969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2015
7San Francisco Giants521971, 1987, 1989, 2002, 2010, 2012, 2014
6Chicago Cubs151984, 1989, 2003, 2015, 2016, 2017
4Houston Astros131980, 1986, 2004, 2005
2Miami Marlins201997, 2003
2San Diego Padres201984, 1998
2Washington Nationals111981, 2019
2Arizona Diamondbacks112001, 2007
2Milwaukee Brewers022011, 2018
1Colorado Rockies102007

Recurring matchups