In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to baseball's championship, the World Series. It began in 1969, when the National League was reorganized into two division, East and West. The winners of each division played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advanced to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.
In 1981, a divisional series was held due to split-season caused by strike action.
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 playoff round, the National League Division Series (NLDS). The winners of that round then advance to the best-of-seven NLCS. This is the system currently in use.
A Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the outstanding player in each series. No MVP award is given for Division Series play.
For National League pennant winners prior to 1969, see National League pennant winners 1901-68 and National League pennant winners 1876-1900.
NLCS results (1969-present)
| Year
| Winner
| Loser
| Wins
| Losses
| Series MVP
|
| 1969
| New York Mets | Atlanta Braves
| 3 | 0 |
|
| 1970
| Cincinnati Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 3 | 0 |
|
| 1971
| Pittsburgh Pirates | San Francisco Giants
| 3 | 1 |
|
| 1972
| Cincinnati Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 3 | 2 |
|
| 1973
| New York Mets | Cincinnati Reds
| 3 | 2 |
|
| 1974
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 3 | 1 |
|
| 1975
| Cincinnati Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 3 | 0 |
|
| 1976
| Cincinnati Reds | Philadelphia Phillies
| 3 | 0 |
|
| 1977
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Philadelphia Phillies
| 3
| 1 | Dusty Baker, Los Angeles
|
| 1978
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Philadelphia Phillies
| 3
| 1 | Steve Garvey, Los Angeles
|
| 1979
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Cincinnati Reds
| 3
| 0 | Willie Stargell, Pittsburgh
|
| 1980
| Philadelphia Phillies | Houston Astros
| 3
| 2 | Manny Trillo, Philadelphia
|
| 1981
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Montreal Expos
| 3
| 2 | Burt Hooton, Los Angeles
|
| 1982
| St. Louis Cardinals | Atlanta Braves
| 3
| 0 | Darrell Porter, St. Louis
|
| 1983
| Philadelphia Phillies | Los Angeles Dodgers
| 3
| 1 | Gary Matthews, Philadelphia
|
| 1984
| San Diego Padres | Chicago Cubs
| 3
| 2 | Steve Garvey, San Diego
|
| 1985
| St. Louis Cardinals | Los Angeles Dodgers
| 4
| 2 | Ozzie Smith, St. Louis
|
| 1986
| New York Mets | Houston Astros
| 4 | 2
| Mike Scott, Houston
|
| 1987
| St. Louis Cardinals | San Francisco Giants
| 4
| 3 | Jeff Leonard, San Francisco
|
| 1988
| Los Angeles Dodgers | New York Mets
| 4
| 3 | Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles
|
| 1989
| San Francisco Giants | Chicago Cubs
| 4
| 1 | Will Clark, San Francisco
|
| 1990
| Cincinnati Reds | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 4 | 2
| Rob Dibble and Randy Myers, Cincinnati
|
| 1991
| Atlanta Braves | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 4
| 3 | Steve Avery, Atlanta
|
| 1992
| Atlanta Braves | Pittsburgh Pirates
| 4
| 3 | John Smoltz, Atlanta
|
| 1993
| Philadelphia Phillies | Atlanta Braves
| 4
| 2 | Curt Schilling, Philadelphia
|
| 1994
| Not held due to player strike.
|
| 1995
| Atlanta Braves | Cincinnati Reds
| 4
| 0 | Mike Devereaux, Atlanta
|
| 1996
| Atlanta Braves | St. Louis Cardinals
| 4
| 3 | Javy López, Atlanta
|
| 1997
| Florida Marlins† | Atlanta Braves
| 4
| 2 | Liván Hernández, Florida
|
| 1998
| San Diego Padres | Atlanta Braves
| 4
| 2 | Sterling Hitchcock, San Diego
|
| 1999
| Atlanta Braves | New York Mets†
| 4 | 2
| Eddie Pérez, Atlanta
|
| 2000
| New York Mets | St. Louis Cardinals
| 4
| 1 | Mike Hampton, New York
|
| 2001
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Atlanta Braves
| 4
| 1 | Craig Counsell, Arizona
|
| 2002
| San Francisco Giants† | St. Louis Cardinals
| 4
| 1 | Benito Santiago, San Francisco
|
| 2003
| Florida Marlins† | Chicago Cubs
| 4
| 3 | Iván Rodríguez, Florida
|
| 2004
| St. Louis Cardinals | Houston Astros†
| 4
| 3 | Albert Pujols, St. Louis
|
†Denotes wild-card team (since 1995).
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