The NLCS or National League Championship Series is a great seven playoff and one of two League Series championships, including the post-season Major League Baseball’s penultimate round. The two National League Division Series champions are challenged. The NLCS winner wins the NL and moves on to the MLB World Series to face the American League (AL) championship series. The NLCS started as a best-of-five playoff in 1969 and used it until 1985 when it became the latest format.

History of National League Championship Series

At the end of the season, the best win-loss record was established in 1969 for a National League Championship Series or the “pennant winner.” In 1946, 1951, 1959, and 1962, there were four ad hoc three-game series because of ties in this way. In 1969, when the National and Americans Leagues were re-organized into two divisions, East and West, a structured post-Season series started. In a top-five series, the two Division winners each played each other to see who would make their way to the World Series.

National League Championship Series have mostly been played in 2–3–2 formats since they expanded in seven games: games 1, 2, 6, and 7 have been played at the home advantage team level, and Games 3, 4, and 5 have been played at a not-to-be team stadium. The team with the best record is awarded home advantage so that the team that reached the Wild Card playoffs would not have the domestic advantage. Regardless of the regular season record from 1969 to 1993, home-field benefit was altered any year between the leagues. And the home-field advantage was predetermined before the season from1995 to 1997.

Due to a split season resulting in a playing strike, a one-off division series was held in 1981. In 1994, the league became three teams, with the three division champions and a wild card team making it to the now-permanent National League Championship Series, the best-of-five playoff run. The winners of this round will move to the top 7 NLCS.

In National League Championship Series, the teams who have faced each other are the Colorado Rockies or Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers, however, played and won the 1982 American League Championship Series from 1969 to 1997. The best player in any series is awarded the Most Valuable Player. Hence, electors are eligible to recognize the results of each series. The NLCS recipient receives the Warren Giles Trophy. See National League winners of 1901-68 and National League winners of 1876-1900 for the pennant winners before 1969.