List of National League Wild Card winners

The wild card was established for Major League Baseball's playoffs in 1994 with the intention of helping the best teams that did not win their division to still have a chance to win the World Series. The restructuring of both the National and American Leagues from two divisions each to three made it necessary to either give one team a bye in the first round of playoffs, or create the wild card for the best second-place team. In addition, the wild card guaranteed that the team with the second best record in each league would qualify for the playoffs, even if they were in the same division with the team having the best record.

See also: Major League Baseball wild card and Major League Baseball Wild Card Game

Beginning in 2012, a second wild card team was added to each league. The two wild card teams in each league will face each other in a one-game playoff, the winner advancing to meet the number one seed in the Division Series.

For the 2020 postseason only, the field expanded to include three second-place teams per division, followed by the wild card teams represented by the next two best records from each league. All eight teams would play in a three-game Wild Card Series.

The Colorado Rockies have been a wild card qualifier a NL record five times, while the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are the only NL teams to have never qualified as a wild card.

NL wild card qualifiers by year

As of 2019, five NL wild card teams went on to win the World Series (Miami, as Florida in 1997 and 2003, St. Louis in 2011, San Francisco in 2014 and Washington in 2019). Four teams won the NL pennant but lost the World Series (NY Mets in 2000, San Francisco in 2002, Houston in 2005, Colorado in 2007). Four other teams won the division series but lost the championship series.

Year Team Record % Postseason
Original Format
1995 Colorado Rockies 77–67 .535 Lost Division Series to Atlanta, 3–1
1996 Los Angeles Dodgers 90–72 .556 Lost Division Series to Atlanta, 3–0
1997 Florida Marlins 92–70 .568 Won Division Series over San Francisco, 3–0
Won NLCS over Atlanta, 4–2
Won World Series over Cleveland, 4–3
1998 Chicago Cubs 90–73 .552 Lost Division Series to Atlanta, 3–0
1999 New York Mets 97–66 .595 Won Division Series over Arizona, 3–1
Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–2
2000 New York Mets 94–68 .580 Won Division Series over San Francisco, 3–1
Won NLCS over St. Louis, 4–1
Lost World Series to New York (AL), 4–1
2001 St. Louis Cardinals 93–69 .574 Lost Division Series to Arizona, 3–2
2002 San Francisco Giants 95–66 .590 Won Division Series over Atlanta, 3–2
Won NLCS over St. Louis, 4–1
Lost World Series to Anaheim, 4–3
2003 Florida Marlins 91–71 .562 Won Division Series over San Francisco, 3–1
Won NLCS over Chicago (NL), 4–3
Won World Series over New York (AL), 4–2
2004 Houston Astros 92–70 .568 Won Division Series over Atlanta, 3–2
Lost NLCS to St. Louis, 4–3
2005 Houston Astros 89–73 .549 Won Division Series over Atlanta, 3–1
Won NLCS over St. Louis, 4–2
Lost World Series to Chicago (AL), 4–0
2006 Los Angeles Dodgers 88–74 .543 Lost Division Series to New York (NL), 3–0
2007 Colorado Rockies 90–73 .552 Won Division Series over Philadelphia, 3–0
Won NLCS over Arizona, 4–0
Lost World Series to Boston, 4–0
2008 Milwaukee Brewers 90–72 .556 Lost Division Series to Philadelphia, 3–1
2009 Colorado Rockies 92–70 .568 Lost Division Series to Philadelphia, 3–1
2010 Atlanta Braves 91–71 .562 Lost Division Series to San Francisco, 3–1
2011 St. Louis Cardinals 90–72 .556 Won Division Series over Philadelphia, 3–2
Won NLCS over Milwaukee, 4–1
Won World Series over Texas, 4–3
Expanded Format
2012 Atlanta Braves 94–68 .580 Lost Wild Card Game to St. Louis
St. Louis Cardinals 88–74 .543 Won Wild Card Game over Atlanta
Won Division Series over Washington, 3–2
Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–3
2013 Pittsburgh Pirates 94–68 .580 Won Wild Card Game over Cincinnati
Lost Division Series to St. Louis, 3–2
Cincinnati Reds 90–72 .556 Lost Wild Card Game to Pittsburgh
2014 Pittsburgh Pirates 88–74 .543 Lost Wild Card Game to San Francisco
San Francisco Giants 88–74 .543 Won Wild Card Game over Pittsburgh
Won Division Series over Washington, 3–1
Won NLCS over St. Louis, 4–1
Won World Series over Kansas City, 4–3
2015 Pittsburgh Pirates 98–64 .605 Lost Wild Card Game to Chicago (NL)
Chicago Cubs 97–65 .599 Won Wild Card Game over Pittsburgh
Won Division Series over St. Louis, 3–1
Lost NLCS to New York (NL), 4–0
2016 New York Mets 87–75 .537 Lost Wild Card Game to San Francisco
San Francisco Giants 87–75 .537 Won Wild Card Game over New York (NL)
Lost Division Series to Chicago (NL), 3–1
2017 Arizona Diamondbacks 93–69 .574 Won Wild Card Game over Colorado
Lost Division Series to Los Angeles (NL), 3–0
Colorado Rockies 87–75 .537 Lost Wild Card Game to Arizona
2018 Chicago Cubs 95–68 .583 Lost Wild Card Game to Colorado
Colorado Rockies 91–72 .558 Won Wild Card Game over Chicago (NL)
Lost Division Series to Milwaukee, 3-0
2019 Washington Nationals 93–69 .574 Won Wild Card Game over Milwaukee
Won Division Series over Los Angeles (NL), 3–2
Won NLCS over St. Louis, 4–0
Won World Series over Houston, 4–3
Milwaukee Brewers 89–73 .549 Lost Wild Card Game to Washington
2020 Cincinnati Reds 31–29 .517 Lost Wild Card Series to Atlanta, 2–0
Milwaukee Brewers 29–31 .483 Lost Wild Card Series to Los Angeles (NL), 2–0

Most NL wild card appearances
Rank Team Total Year(s)
1 Colorado Rockies 5 1995, 2007, 2009, 2017, 2018
T-2 Chicago Cubs 3 1998, 2015, 2018
T-2 Milwaukee Brewers 3 2008, 2019, 2020
T-2 New York Mets 3 1999, 2000, 2016
T-2 Pittsburgh Pirates 3 2013, 2014, 2015
T-2 St. Louis Cardinals 3 2001, 2011, 2012
T-2 San Francisco Giants 3 2002, 2014, 2016
T-8 Cincinnati Reds 2 2013, 2020
T-8 Houston Astros 2 2004, 2005
T-8 Atlanta Braves 2 2010, 2012
T-8 Los Angeles Dodgers 2 1996, 2006
T-8 Miami Marlins 2 1997, 2003
T-12 Arizona Diamondbacks 1 2017
T-12 Washington Nationals 1 2019

See also
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.