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.)
| League | National League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Major League Baseball |
| Founded | 1969 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Atlanta Braves (12th title) |
| Most titles | Atlanta Braves (12) |
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 Saint Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created Eastern 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 (a rivalry that as of 2013 has yet to develop, largely due to the Marlins being noncompetitive except for their two World Series-winning seasons), requested to be moved to the East instead. Despite the Marlins offering to go to the Central, the Pirates instead gave up its 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]
Divisional membership
Current members
- Atlanta Braves – Joined in 1994; formerly of the NL West
- Miami Marlins – Joined in 1993 as an expansion team (originally as the Florida Marlins)
- New York Mets – Founding member
- Philadelphia Phillies – Founding member
- Washington Nationals – Founding member (originally as the Montreal Expos in 1969)
Former members
- Chicago Cubs - Founding member, currently part of the NL Central.
- Pittsburgh Pirates - Founding member, currently part of the NL Central.
- St. Louis Cardinals - Founding member, currently part of the NL Central.
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
NL East champions by year
- Team names link to the season in which each team played
| 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 | 97–65 | .599 | Won World Series over Baltimore, 4–3 |
| 1972 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 96–59 | .619 | Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–2 |
| 1973 | New York Mets | 82–79 | .509 | Lost World Series to Oakland, 4–3 |
| 1974 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 88–74 | .543 | Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1 |
| 1975 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 92–69 | .571 | Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–0 |
| 1976 | Philadelphia Phillies | 101–61 | .623 | Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 3–0 |
| 1977 | Philadelphia Phillies | 101–61 | .623 | Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1 |
| 1978 | Philadelphia Phillies | 90–72 | .556 | Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 3–1 |
| 1979 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 98–64 | .605 | Won World Series over Baltimore, 4–3 |
| 1980 | Philadelphia Phillies | 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 | 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 | 101–61 | .623 | Lost World Series to Kansas City, 4–3 |
| 1986 | New York Mets | 108–54 | .667 | Won World Series over Boston, 4–3 |
| 1987 | St. Louis Cardinals | 95–67 | .586 | Lost World Series to Minnesota, 4–3 |
| 1988 | New York Mets | 100–60 | .625 | Lost NLCS to Los Angeles, 4–3 |
| 1989 | Chicago Cubs | 93–69 | .574 | Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–1 |
| 1990 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 95–67 | .586 | Lost NLCS to Cincinnati, 4–2 |
| 1991 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 98–64 | .605 | Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–3 |
| 1992 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 96–66 | .593 | Lost NLCS to Atlanta, 4–3 |
| 1993 | Philadelphia Phillies | 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 | 96–66 | .593 | Lost World Series to New York, 4–2 |
| 1997 | Atlanta Braves | 101–61 | .623 | Lost NLCS to Florida, 4–2 |
| 1998 | Atlanta Braves | 106–56 | .654 | Lost NLCS to San Diego, 4–2 |
| 1999 | Atlanta Braves | 103–59 | .636 | Lost World Series to New York, 4–0 |
| 2000 | Atlanta Braves | 95–67 | .586 | Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–0 |
| 2001 | Atlanta Braves | 88–74 | .543 | Lost NLCS to Arizona, 4–1 |
| 2002 | Atlanta Braves | 101–59 | .631 | Lost NLDS to San Francisco, 3–2 |
| 2003 | Atlanta Braves | 101–61 | .623 | Lost NLDS to Chicago, 3–2 |
| 2004 | Atlanta Braves | 96–66 | .593 | Lost NLDS to Houston, 3–2 |
| 2005 | Atlanta Braves | 90–72 | .556 | Lost NLDS to Houston, 3–1 |
| 2006 | New York Mets | 97–65 | .599 | Lost NLCS to St. Louis, 4–3 |
| 2007 | Philadelphia Phillies | 89–73 | .549 | Lost NLDS to Colorado, 3–0 |
| 2008 | Philadelphia Phillies | 92–70 | .568 | Won World Series over Tampa Bay, 4–1 |
| 2009 | Philadelphia Phillies | 93–69 | .574 | Lost World Series to New York, 4–2 |
| 2010 | Philadelphia Phillies | 97–65 | .599 | Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–2 |
| 2011 | Philadelphia Phillies | 102–60 | .630 | Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–2 |
| 2012 | Washington Nationals | 98–64 | .605 | Lost NLDS to St. Louis, 3–2 |
| 2013 | Atlanta Braves | 96–66 | .593 | Lost NLDS to Los Angeles, 3–1 |
† – 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 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 | 5 | 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 2006 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 3 | 1982, 1985, 1987 |
| Chicago Cubs | 2 | 1984, 1989 |
| Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos | 2 | 1981, 2012 |
| Miami/Florida Marlins | 0 | —
|
- Italics indicate teams no longer in the division.
- Note that because of the wild card postseason berth, the Miami Marlins have two World Series wins (1997, 2003) without ever winning the division.
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 Wild Card Game to St. Louis, 6–3 |
* – Defeated the Cincinnati Reds in a one-game playoff for the Wild Card, 5–0.
** – Starting with the 2013 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
- ^ Collier, Gene (September 27, 1993). "Pirates, Phillies Have Owned the Outgoing NL East Division". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1.
- ^ Collier, Gene (July 4, 2005). "Pirates—Phillies: A Rivalry Lost and Missed". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D1.
- ^ Von Benko, George (July 7, 2005). "Notes: Phils–Pirates rivalry fading". Phillies.MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- ^ "Pirates perform rare three-peat feat 4-2". USA Today. September 28, 1992. p. 5C.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/16/sports/baseball-pirates-relent-on-new-alignment.html?pagewanted=print
- ^ http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/pirates/s_742330.html#axzz2YtXG2iD2