What Does NLCS Mean in Baseball?
The National League Championship Series is a series using a best-of-seven format that determines which team will play the winner of the American League Championship Series in the World Series.
Nine teams have won the NLCS since 2013, with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning most recently in 2024. Only the Dodgers have multiple NLCS wins during that time.
Here's a quick rundown of one of the best parts of the Major League Baseball postseason, including what happened in recent NLCS editions and how the league's format works.
Check out this guide on the RG Game Changers podcast on Spotify.
What happened in the last NLCS?
The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets made it to the 2024 NLCS and played a six-game series.
Here are the results:
| Game | Dodgers Score | Mets Score |
| NLCS Game 1 | 9 | 0 |
| NLCS Game 2 | 3 | 7 |
| NLCS Game 3 | 8 | 0 |
| NLCS Game 4 | 10 | 2 |
| NLCS Game 5 | 6 | 12 |
| NLCS Game 6 | 10 | 5 |
2024 NLCS MVP
The MVP of the 2024 NLCS was infielder Tommy Edman, who the Dodgers traded for midway through the regular season.
Although Edman came to Los Angeles primarily known for his defensive work, he swung the bat exceedingly well — particularly in Game 6 when he drove in four of his team's 10 runs.
That wasn't his only strong performance, though, as his offensive production throughout the series was outstanding:
Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
Other Notable Performances
Edman wasn't the only player who thrived under the MLB playoff spotlight in the 2024 NLCS. Below are a few others that stood out, with some notable statistics they produced:
- Max Muncy: 2 home runs, 11 walks, 1.363 OPS
- Shohei Ohtani: 2 home runs, 1.185 OPS
- Mookie Betts: 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases, 1.182 OPS
- Jessie Winker: .579 on-base percentage, 1.117 OPS
- Francisco Alvarez: .412 batting average, .947 OPS
- Edwin Diaz: 5.1 innings pitched, 0 earned runs, 6 strikeouts
Recent NLCS Matchups and Winners
Below is a list of the last 10 NLCS matchups with the victorious teams in bold.
- 2024: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets
- 2023: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies
- 2022: Philadelphia Phillies vs. San Diego Padres
- 2021: Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2020: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
- 2019: Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals
- 2018: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers
- 2017: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs
- 2016: Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
- 2015: New York Mets vs. Chicago Cubs
2025 NLCS Scheduling
We can't know when the first pitch of the NLCS will be until we know how deep the playoffs series that precede it go.
If the wild card and division series are long, the NLCS will be pushed deeper into October. If they are short and lopsided, it might start sooner.
Whether the National League Division Series goes four games or seven games, there's still a relatively small window for the battle for NL supremacy.
The 2025 playoff schedule has not been released, but if its start date is around October 1 and the last possible date for a World Series game is early November, a good estimate for the 2025 NLCS dates is October 13-22.
Playoff Format for MLB
The MLB playoffs have changed a lot in recent decades.
Before 1995, only four teams participated in a two-round postseason tournament. From 1903 to 1968, the playoffs were just a World Series between the best teams in the AL and NL during the regular season.
For the last 30 years, the league has been adding more teams to the postseason. Here's a quick rundown of the growth of the MLB playoffs:
- 1995: MLB goes to three divisions in each league, adds a division winner to the postseason, and a 'wild card' — the best team in each league that didn't win their division. Now, eight teams make the playoffs: three division winners from the AL, three from the NL, and one wild card from each league.
- 2011: MLB adds another wild-card team. Now, the two wild card teams play a one-game playoff to determine who advances to the playoff field.
- 2020: MLB goes to a 16-team playoff field in a shortened season. Returns to 2011-2019 format in 2021.
- 2022: MLB adds a third wild card team and changes the wild card game to a best-of-three series. Now, 12 teams make the postseason each year.
With all of the adjustments, the MLB playoffs now have four rounds:
- Wild-Card Round: The three best teams in the AL and NL who did not win their division — and the division winner with the worst regular season record — compete in a three-game series to see who will face the two division winners in each league with the best record. The lowest-seeded wild card (6 seed) faces the lowest-seeded division winner (3 seed), and the top wild card (4 seed) faces the second-ranked wild card (5 seed). All games are played at the home ballpark of the higher seed.
- Divisional Round: The wild-card round survivors face the two highest-seeded division winners in the AL and NL in a best-of-five series. The bracket is not re-seeded based on results, meaning that the top seed in each league plays the winner of the series between the 4 and 5 seeds in every case, even if the 6 seed upsets the 3 seed.
- Championship Series: The ALCS and NLCS are best-of-seven battles between the last surviving teams in the AL and NL. Home-field advantage is determined by the teams' regular season records for these series.
- Word Series: The last remaining American League and National League teams face off to determine who wins the MLB title.
NLCS FAQ
NLCS Primer
What is the National League Championship Series (NLCS)?
The NLCS is a best-of-seven series determining which National League team will play the American League champion in the World Series. This is a highlight of the MLB postseason.
2025 NLCS Schedule
When is the 2025 NLCS?
The exact dates are TBD, but assuming a typical playoff progression, it’s expected to be around October 13-22.
MLB Playoff Format
How has the MLB playoff format evolved over the years?
The MLB playoff format has grown a lot. Originally only the league champions played in the World Series. Over time, more teams were added, and now we have 12 teams. Key changes include adding Wild Card teams and the Wild Card series being best-of-three starting in 2022.
Recap of the Last NLCS
What were the results of the most recent NLCS?
In the 2024 NLCS, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Mets in six games. The game scores were: LAD 9, NYM: 0, NYM: 7, LAD:3, LAD: 8, NYM: 0, LAD: 10, NYM: 2, NYM: 12, LAD: 6 and LAD: 10, NYM: 5.
Historical Context
How has success in the NLCS been distributed among teams in recent years?
Since 2015, there has been remarkable parity in the NLCS, with nine different teams claiming victories. The Los Angeles Dodgers stand out as the only repeat winner during this period, most recently securing victory in 2024 by defeating the New York Mets in six games. This pattern demonstrates the competitive balance within the National League, as teams like the Braves, Phillies, and Nationals have all managed to capture NLCS titles on their way to World Series appearances.
References
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