National League East

NL East
League National League
Sport Major League Baseball
Founded 1969
Teams
No. of teams 5
Championships
Most recent NL East champion(s) Washington Nationals
(4th title)
Most NL East titles Atlanta Braves (12)

The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves have the most National League East titles (12). Most of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of reaching MLB playoffs 14 consecutive times (There were no playoffs in 1994 and the first three titles of that streak came when the Braves were in the National League West.)

The division was created when the National League (along with the American League) added two expansion teams and divided into two divisions, East and West effective for the 1969 season. The National League's geographical alignment was rather peculiar as its partitioning was really more north and south instead of east and west. Two teams in the Eastern Time Zone, the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, were in the same division as teams on the Pacific coast. This was due to the demands of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created East division.

During the two-division era, from 1969 to 1993, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates together owned more than half of the division titles, having won a combined 15 of 25 championships during that span.[1] They were also the only teams in the division to have won consecutive titles during that span.[2][3][4]

When the National League realigned into three divisions in 1994, the Pittsburgh Pirates were originally supposed to stay in the East while the Braves were to be moved to the newly created National League Central. However, the Braves, wanting to form a natural rivalry with the expansion Florida Marlins, elected to be placed in the East. Despite the Marlins offering to go to the Central, the Pirates instead gave up their spot in the East to the Braves.[5] Since then, the Pirates have tried several times unsuccessfully to be placed back in the East.[6]

Division membership

Current members

Former members

Division members

Place cursor over year for division champ or World Series team.

Years
NL East Division[A]
69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Montreal Expos
Pittsburgh Pirates[C]  
St. Louis Cardinals[C]  
Chicago Cubs[C]  
  Florida Marlins[B]
  Atlanta Braves[C]
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals[D]
Florida Marlins Miami Marlins[E]
Atlanta Braves
     Team not in division      Division Won World Series      Division Won NL Championship
A The creation of the division with the expansion of the league – with the Expos added.
B Florida Marlins added in the 1993 expansion
C The Atlanta Braves moved in from the NL West, and the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals moved into newly created National League Central Division
D The Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., becoming the Washington Nationals
E The Florida Marlins relocated from Miami Gardens, Florida to Miami and changed their name to the Miami Marlins

Champions by year

Year Winner Record % Playoffs
1969 New York Mets 100–62 .617 Won World Series over Baltimore, 4–1
1970 Pittsburgh Pirates 89–73 .549 Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–0
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates (2) 97–65 .599 Won World Series over Baltimore, 4–3
1972 Pittsburgh Pirates (3) 96–59 .619 Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–2
1973 New York Mets (2) 82–79 .509 Lost World Series to Oakland, 4–3
1974 Pittsburgh Pirates (4) 88–74 .543 Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1
1975 Pittsburgh Pirates (5) 92–69 .571 Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–0
1976 Philadelphia Phillies 101–61 .623 Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–0
1977 Philadelphia Phillies (2) 101–61 .623 Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1
1978 Philadelphia Phillies (3) 90–72 .556 Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates (6) 98–64 .605 Won World Series over Baltimore, 4–3
1980 Philadelphia Phillies (4) 91–71 .562 Won World Series over Kansas City, 4–2
1981 Montreal Expos† 60–48 .556 Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–2
1982 St. Louis Cardinals 92–70 .570 Won World Series over Milwaukee, 4–3
1983 Philadelphia Phillies (5) 90–72 .556 Lost World Series to Baltimore, 4–1
1984 Chicago Cubs 96–65 .596 Lost NLCS to San Diego, 3–2
1985 St. Louis Cardinals (2) 101–61 .623 Lost World Series to Kansas City, 4–3
1986 New York Mets (3) 108–54 .667 Won World Series over Boston, 4–3
1987 St. Louis Cardinals (3) 95–67 .586 Lost World Series to Minnesota, 4–3
1988 New York Mets (4) 100–60 .625 Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 4–3
1989 Chicago Cubs (2) 93–69 .574 Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–1
1990 Pittsburgh Pirates (7) 95–67 .586 Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 4–2
1991 Pittsburgh Pirates (8) 98–64 .605 Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–3
1992 Pittsburgh Pirates (9) 96–66 .593 Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–3
1993 Philadelphia Phillies (6) 97–65 .599 Lost World Series to Toronto, 4–2
1995 Atlanta Braves 90–54 .625 Won World Series over Cleveland, 4–2
1996 Atlanta Braves (2) 96–66 .593 Lost World Series to New York, 4–2
1997 Atlanta Braves (3) 101–61 .623 Lost NLCS to Florida, 4–2
1998 Atlanta Braves (4) 106–56 .654 Lost NLCS to San Diego, 4–2
1999 Atlanta Braves (5) 103–59 .636 Lost World Series to New York, 4–0
2000 Atlanta Braves (6) 95–67 .586 Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–0
2001 Atlanta Braves (7) 88–74 .543 Lost NLCS to Arizona, 4–1
2002 Atlanta Braves (8) 101–59 .631 Lost NLDS to San Francisco, 3–2
2003 Atlanta Braves (9) 101–61 .623 Lost NLDS to Chicago, 3–2
2004 Atlanta Braves (10) 96–66 .593 Lost NLDS to Houston, 3–2
2005 Atlanta Braves (11) 90–72 .556 Lost NLDS to Houston, 3–1
2006 New York Mets (5) 97–65 .599 Lost NLCS to St. Louis, 4–3
2007 Philadelphia Phillies (7) 89–73 .549 Lost NLDS to Colorado, 3–0
2008 Philadelphia Phillies (8) 92–70 .568 Won World Series over Tampa Bay, 4–1
2009 Philadelphia Phillies (9) 93–69 .574 Lost World Series to New York, 4–2
2010 Philadelphia Phillies (10) 97–65 .599 Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–2
2011 Philadelphia Phillies (11) 102–60 .630 Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–2
2012 Washington Nationals (2) 98–64 .605 Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–2
2013 Atlanta Braves (12) 96–66 .593 Lost NLDS to Los Angeles, 3–1
2014 Washington Nationals (3) 96–66 .593 Lost NLDS to San Francisco, 3–1
2015 New York Mets (6) 90–72 .556 Lost World Series to Kansas City, 4–1
2016 Washington Nationals (4) 95–67 .586 Lost NLDS to Los Angeles, 3–2

† – Due to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, the season was split. Montreal won the second half and defeated first-half champion Philadelphia (59–48) in the postseason.
§ – Due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike starting August 12, no official winner was awarded. Montreal was leading at the strike.

Most Division titles

Team Titles Year(s)
Atlanta Braves 12 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2013
Philadelphia Phillies 11 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1993, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Pittsburgh Pirates 9 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1990, 1991, 1992
New York Mets 6 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 2006, 2015
Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos 4 1981, 2012, 2014, 2016
St. Louis Cardinals 3 1982, 1985, 1987
Chicago Cubs 2 1984, 1989
Miami/Florida Marlins 0
—

Wildcard winners produced

Year Winner Record % GB Playoffs
1997 Florida Marlins 92–70 .568 9 Won World Series over Cleveland, 4–3
1999 New York Mets* 97–66 .595 6.5 Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–2
2000 New York Mets 94–68 .580 1 Lost World Series to New York, 4–1
2003 Florida Marlins 91–71 .562 10 Won World Series over New York, 4–2
2010 Atlanta Braves 91–71 .562 6 Lost NLDS to San Francisco, 3-1
2012 Atlanta Braves** 94–68 .580 4 Lost NLWC to St. Louis
2016 New York Mets** 87–75 .537 8 Lost NLWC to San Francisco

* – Defeated the Cincinnati Reds in a one-game playoff for the Wild Card, 5–0.

** – Starting with the 2012 season, there will be two Wild Card winners in each league. The qualifiers will play a single-game playoff to determine who will face the top-seeded team in the National League Division Series.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Collier, Gene (September 27, 1993). "Pirates, Phillies Have Owned the Outgoing NL East Division". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1.
  2. ↑ Collier, Gene (July 4, 2005). "Pirates—Phillies: A Rivalry Lost and Missed". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1.
  3. ↑ Von Benko, George (July 7, 2005). "Notes: Phils–Pirates rivalry fading". Philadelphia Phillies. Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Pirates perform rare three-peat feat 4-2". USA Today. September 28, 1992. p. 5C.
  5. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/16/sports/baseball-pirates-relent-on-new-alignment.html?pagewanted=print
  6. ↑ "Starkey: Pirates in American League' Yes!". TribLIVE.com. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
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