History of National League West in Timeline

The National League West is one of MLB's six divisions, established in 1969 when the NL expanded to 12 teams. The expansion added the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos and led to the creation of the East and West Divisions to maintain a 162-game regular season. Teams in each division initially played 18 games against their division rivals and 12 games against teams in the opposite division. Before 1969, the NL used informal internal divisions for scheduling.

October 1969: New York Mets Win the World Series

In October 1969, the New York Mets, also known as the "Miracle Mets", won the World Series, defeating the Baltimore Orioles four games to one. Previously, the Mets had won the first National League Championship Series over the Braves three games to none.

1969: Creation of the National League West Division

In 1969, the National League West division was created as the National League expanded to 12 teams with the addition of the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. The teams were split into the East and West divisions to maintain a 162-game regular season, with teams playing 18 games against division rivals and 12 games against teams in the opposite division.

1969: Close Pennant Race in the National League West

In 1969, the inaugural season of division play saw a competitive pennant race in the National League West, with five teams contending for the divisional championship. The San Diego Padres were the only team not in contention. On August 18, the Houston Astros had lost 20 of its first 24 games, yet the remaining five teams were separated by as few as one-and-one-half games in the standings.

1981: Split Season Due to MLB Strike

In 1981, the Major League Baseball season was split due to a strike. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the first half and defeated the second-half champion Houston in the postseason. The Cincinnati Reds had the best overall record (66–42) in the division but did not qualify for the playoffs due to the split season.

1985: League Championship Series Lengthened

In 1985, the League Championship Series was lengthened to a best-of-seven format, increasing the number of possible games by two. This change was implemented to determine the winner of the league pennant.

1993: No MLB teams in Mountain Time Zone until 1993

In 1993, the Colorado Rockies were enfranchised, marking the first time an MLB team played in the Mountain Time Zone. Before 1993 no MLB teams played in the Mountain Time Zone.

August 12, 1994: Start of the 1994-95 Major League Baseball Strike

On August 12, 1994, the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike began, leading to the cancellation of the remainder of the season. The planned changes to the playoff format were delayed until 1995.

1994: Teams No Longer in Division Since 1994

In 1994, some teams left the division, indicated by a dagger symbol (†).

1994: Addition of the Central Division

In 1994, the addition of the Central Division led to the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves moving to the NL Central and NL East, respectively. This move aimed to remedy the increased traveling distances and scheduling difficulties experienced by teams in the National League West.

1994: Introduction of the Wild Card

In 1994, the concept of the wild card was introduced, awarding a playoff berth to the team in each league with the best record that did not win its division. However, the system was not implemented until the following season due to a player strike that prematurely ended the 1994 season.

1995: Implementation of New Playoff Format

In 1995, the new playoff format was implemented, including the addition of two further teams in the playoffs in each league and the creation of a Division Series round. This change was initially planned for 1994 but was delayed due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike.

2006: Tie for First Place Between Padres and Dodgers

In 2006, the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers finished the season tied for first place with identical records. The San Diego Padres won the season series 13–5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and were awarded the NL West title, while Los Angeles was awarded the wild-card berth.

2012: Expansion of the Wild Card to Two Teams

From 2012 to 2019 and in 2021, the Wild Card was expanded to include two teams. These teams competed in the Wild Card Game to determine the final participant in the National League Division Series.

2013: Teams No Longer Part of NL Since 2013

Since 2013, some teams are no longer part of the National League, indicated by a section symbol (§).

2019: Expansion of the Wild Card to Two Teams

From 2012 to 2019 and in 2021, the Wild Card was expanded to include two teams. These teams competed in the Wild Card Game to determine the final participant in the National League Division Series.

2020: Expanded Wild Card Series in 2020

In 2020, due to unique circumstances, eight teams, including the three division winners, participated in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. The winners of these series advanced to the Division Series.

2021: Expansion of the Wild Card to Two Teams

From 2012 to 2019 and in 2021, the Wild Card was expanded to include two teams. These teams competed in the Wild Card Game to determine the final participant in the National League Division Series.

2022: Increase of Wild Card Field to Three Teams

Starting in 2022, the Wild Card field was increased to three teams. These teams, along with the lowest-ranked division winner, qualified for the best-of-three Wild Card Series to determine the remaining two slots in the Division Series.