National League East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves have the most National League East titles. Most of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of reaching MLB playoffs 14 consecutive times Along with the American League Central it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title.
The division was created when the National 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 St. Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created East 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. They were also the only teams in the division to have won consecutive titles during that span.
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, elected to be placed in the East. Despite the Marlins offering to go to the Central, the Pirates instead gave up their spot in the East to the Braves. Since then, the Pirates have tried several times unsuccessfully to be placed back in the East.
Division membership
Current members
- Atlanta Braves – Joined in ; formerly of the NL West
- Miami Marlins – Joined in as an expansion team
- New York Mets – Founding member
- Philadelphia Phillies – Founding member
- Washington Nationals – Founding member
Former members
- Chicago Cubs – Founding member, moved to the NL Central in 1994.
- Pittsburgh Pirates – Founding member, moved to the NL Central in 1994.
- St. Louis Cardinals – Founding member, moved to the NL Central in 1994.
Division members
Champions by year
- Team names link to the season in which each team played
Most Division titles
- 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 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 NLWC to St. Louis |
2016 | New York Mets** | 87–75 | .537 | 8 | Lost NLWC to San Francisco |
2019 | Washington Nationals** | 93–69 | .574 | 4 | Won World Series over Houston, 4–3 |