This is a visual explainer based on the Wikipedia article on the List of National League pennant winners. Read the full source article here. (opens in new tab)

Diamond Dynasty

A scholarly examination of National League pennant victors, delving into the historical trajectory and statistical dominance of Major League Baseball's National League champions.

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What is a Pennant?

The Pinnacle of League Play

In Major League Baseball (MLB), the National League (NL) pennant winner is the team that secures the championship of the National League. This esteemed title grants the victorious team the Warren C. Giles Trophy and the crucial right to compete in the World Series against the American League (AL) champion.[1] As of October 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold the distinction of being the most recent NL pennant winners, having triumphed over the New York Mets.

The Warren C. Giles Trophy

The trophy awarded to the National League champion is named in honor of Warren Giles, who served as the league president from 1951 to 1969. The presentation of this significant award occurs immediately following the conclusion of each National League Championship Series (NLCS). It is traditionally presented by Warren Giles' son, Bill Giles, who holds the title of honorary league president and is a former owner of the Philadelphia Phillies.[1]

Historical Evolution

Early Era: Regular Season Dominance (1876–1968)

From the National League's inception in 1876 until 1968, the pennant was bestowed upon the team that achieved the best regular-season record. This straightforward system rewarded consistent performance throughout the entire season.[4] The only exception to this continuous tradition was in 1994, when a players' strike regrettably led to the cancellation of the postseason, and thus, no pennant was awarded.[2][3]

The Playoff Era: Divisions and Series (1969–Present)

A significant structural shift occurred in 1969 when the National League was divided into East and West divisions. From this point forward, the champions of these divisions would compete in the League Championship Series (NLCS) to determine the pennant winner.[5] The NLCS format itself evolved, transitioning from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven series for the 1985 postseason.[6]

The playoff structure underwent further expansion in 1995. MLB realigned the two divisions in each league into three, introducing an additional playoff series: the NL Division Series (NLDS). This best-of-five playoff now precedes the NLCS, featuring the winners of the Eastern, Central, and Western Divisions, along with one wild card team, to determine who advances to the NLCS.[7][8]

Pre-World Series Championships

Before the modern World Series commenced in 1903, recognizing the American League, there were earlier championship formats:

  • World's Championship Series (1884–1890): Played between the pennant winners of the National League and the American Association.
  • Temple Cup (1894–1897): A postseason series contested by the NL's first and second-place teams, considered the league championship. Notably, second-place teams won three of the four Temple Cup meetings.[19]
  • Chronicle-Telegraph Cup (1900): Another pre-World Series league championship.

Notable Records

Franchise Dominance

The Los Angeles Dodgers, including their tenure as the Brooklyn Dodgers, lead the National League with an impressive 25 pennants and 38 playoff appearances.[9] They are closely followed by the San Francisco Giants (formerly the New York Giants) with 23 pennants and 27 playoff appearances.[10] The St. Louis Cardinals rank third with 19 pennants and 28 playoff appearances,[11] while the Atlanta Braves (across their Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta eras) boast 18 pennants and 30 postseason appearances.[12] The Chicago Cubs (including their White Stockings period) round out the top five with 17 pennants and 21 playoff appearances.[13]

Season Performance Milestones

  • Best Regular Season Record (Pre-1969): The 1906 Chicago Cubs hold this record, winning 116 out of 152 games and finishing a remarkable 20 games ahead of the New York Giants.[15][16]
  • Best Record (Championship Series Era): Both the 1975 Cincinnati Reds and the 1986 New York Mets achieved a 108–54 record. Notably, both of these dominant teams went on to win the World Series in their respective years.[17][18]
  • Largest Margin of Victory (Pre-1969): The 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates secured their pennant by an astounding 27.5 games over the Brooklyn Superbas (now the Dodgers) on the final day of the season.[21]

Consecutive Pennants & World Series Success

The Philadelphia Phillies achieved back-to-back NL championships in 2008 and 2009, a feat not seen in the NL since the Atlanta Braves accomplished it in 1995 and 1996.[14] The Los Angeles Dodgers also secured consecutive pennants in 2017 and 2018. Overall, National League pennant winners have proceeded to win the World Series 51 times, with the most recent victory occurring in 2021.[2] As of 2021, the Dodgers lead in modern-era World Series appearances with 21, followed by the San Francisco Giants with 20.

Franchise Overview

The Lone Exception

Among all currently existing National League franchises, only the Milwaukee Brewers have never won an NL pennant. However, it is important to note that the Brewers did achieve a pennant victory during their tenure in the American League, demonstrating their capacity for championship success in a different league context.[22]

Key to Table Interpretations

To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the historical data presented in the following tables, please refer to the key below:

Year Links to the corresponding "year in baseball" (1876–1900) or "Major League Baseball season" (1901–present) article
Team Links to the corresponding season in which each team played
Series Links to the corresponding "National League Championship Series" article
Record Regular season win–loss record
GA Games ahead of the second-place team (pre-NLCS era)
Ref Reference
Won World Series (1884–1890, 1892)
Won Temple Cup (1894–1897)
Won Chronicle-Telegraph Cup (1900)
Won World Series (1903–present)
E National League East division member (1969–present)
C National League Central division member (1995–present)
W National League West division member (1969–present)
† Wild card team (1995–present)

Single Table Era (1876–1968)

During this foundational period, the National League pennant was awarded to the team with the superior regular-season record, reflecting sustained excellence over the course of the entire season.

Year Team Manager Record GA Ahead of Manager Ref
1876Chicago White StockingsAlbert Spalding52–146St. Louis Brown StockingsGeorge McManus[24]
1877Boston Red CapsHarry Wright42–187Louisville GraysJack Chapman[25]
1878Boston Red CapsHarry Wright41–194Cincinnati RedsJack Chapman[26]
1879Providence GraysGeorge Wright59–255Boston Red CapsCal McVey[27]
1880Chicago White StockingsCap Anson67–1715Providence GraysMike Dorgan[28]
1881Chicago White StockingsCap Anson56–289Providence GraysTom York[29]
1882Chicago White StockingsCap Anson55–293Providence GraysHarry Wright[30]
1883Boston BeaneatersJohn Morrill63–354Chicago White StockingsCap Anson[31]
1884Providence GraysFrank Bancroft84–2810+1⁄2Boston BeaneatersJohn Morrill[32]
1885Chicago White StockingsCap Anson87–252New York GiantsJim Mutrie[33]
1886Chicago White StockingsCap Anson90–342+1⁄2Detroit WolverinesBill Watkins[34]
1887Detroit WolverinesBill Watkins79–453+1⁄2Philadelphia QuakersHarry Wright[35]
1888New York GiantsJim Mutrie84–479Chicago White StockingsCap Anson[36]
1889New York GiantsJim Mutrie83–431Boston BeaneatersJim Hart[37]
1890Brooklyn BridegroomsBill McGunnigle86–436+1⁄2Chicago ColtsCap Anson[38]
1891Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee87–513+1⁄2Chicago ColtsCap Anson[39]
1892Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee102–488+1⁄2Cleveland SpidersPatsy Tebeau[40]
1893Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee86–435Pittsburgh PiratesAl Buckenberger[41]
1894Baltimore OriolesNed Hanlon89–393New York GiantsJohn Montgomery Ward[42]
1895Baltimore OriolesNed Hanlon87–433Cleveland SpidersPatsy Tebeau[43]
1896Baltimore OriolesNed Hanlon90–399+1⁄2Cleveland SpidersPatsy Tebeau[44]
1897Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee93–392Baltimore OriolesNed Hanlon[45]
1898Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee102–476Baltimore OriolesNed Hanlon[46]
1899Brooklyn SuperbasNed Hanlon101–478Boston BeaneatersFrank Selee[47]
1900Brooklyn SuperbasNed Hanlon82–544+1⁄2Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke[48]
1901Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke90–497+1⁄2Philadelphia PhilliesBill Shettsline[49]
1902Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke103–3627+1⁄2Brooklyn SuperbasNed Hanlon[50]
1903Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke91–496+1⁄2New York GiantsJohn McGraw[51]
1904New York GiantsJohn McGraw106–4713Chicago CubsFrank Selee[52]
1905New York GiantsJohn McGraw106–479Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke[53]
1906Chicago CubsFrank Chance116–3620New York GiantsJohn McGraw[54]
1907Chicago CubsFrank Chance107–4517Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke[55]
1908Chicago CubsFrank Chance99–551Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke[56]
1909Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke110–426+1⁄2Chicago CubsFrank Chance[57]
1910Chicago CubsFrank Chance104–5013New York GiantsJohn McGraw[58]
1911New York GiantsJohn McGraw99–547+1⁄2Chicago CubsFrank Chance[59]
1912New York GiantsJohn McGraw103–4810Pittsburgh PiratesFred Clarke[60]
1913New York GiantsJohn McGraw101–5112+1⁄2Philadelphia PhilliesRed Dooin[61]
1914Boston BravesGeorge Stallings94–5910+1⁄2New York GiantsJohn McGraw[62]
1915Philadelphia PhilliesPat Moran90–627Boston BravesGeorge Stallings[63]
1916Brooklyn RobinsWilbert Robinson94–602+1⁄2Philadelphia PhilliesPat Moran[64]
1917New York GiantsJohn McGraw98–5610Philadelphia PhilliesPat Moran[65]
1918Chicago CubsFred Mitchell84–4510+1⁄2New York GiantsJohn McGraw[66]
1919Cincinnati RedsPat Moran96–449New York GiantsJohn McGraw[67]
1920Brooklyn RobinsWilbert Robinson93–617New York GiantsGeorge Gibson[68]
1921New York GiantsJohn McGraw94–594Pittsburgh PiratesGeorge Gibson[69]
1922New York GiantsJohn McGraw93–617Cincinnati RedsPat Moran[70]
1923New York GiantsJohn McGraw95–584+1⁄2Cincinnati RedsPat Moran[71]
1924New York GiantsJohn McGraw93–601+1⁄2Brooklyn RobinsWilbert Robinson[72]
1925Pittsburgh PiratesBill McKechnie95–588+1⁄2New York GiantsJohn McGraw[73]
1926St. Louis CardinalsRogers Hornsby89–652Cincinnati RedsJack Hendricks[74]
1927Pittsburgh PiratesDonie Bush94–601+1⁄2St. Louis CardinalsBob O'Farrell[75]
1928St. Louis CardinalsBill McKechnie95–592New York GiantsJohn McGraw[76]
1929Chicago CubsJoe McCarthy98–542Pittsburgh PiratesJewel Ens[77]
1930St. Louis CardinalsGabby Street92–622Chicago CubsRogers Hornsby[78]
1931St. Louis CardinalsGabby Street101–5313New York GiantsJohn McGraw[79]
1932Chicago CubsCharlie Grimm90–644Pittsburgh PiratesGeorge Gibson[80]
1933New York GiantsBill Terry91–615Pittsburgh PiratesGeorge Gibson[81]
1934St. Louis CardinalsFrankie Frisch95–582New York GiantsBill Terry[82]
1935Chicago CubsCharlie Grimm100–544St. Louis CardinalsFrankie Frisch[83]
1936New York GiantsBill Terry92–625St. Louis CardinalsFrankie Frisch[84]
1937New York GiantsBill Terry95–573Chicago CubsCharlie Grimm[85]
1938Chicago CubsCharlie Grimm89–632Pittsburgh PiratesPie Traynor[86]
1939Cincinnati RedsBill McKechnie97–574+1⁄2St. Louis CardinalsRay Blades[87]
1940Cincinnati RedsBill McKechnie100–5312Brooklyn DodgersLeo Durocher[88]
1941Brooklyn DodgersLeo Durocher100–542+1⁄2St. Louis CardinalsBilly Southworth[89]
1942St. Louis CardinalsBilly Southworth106–482Brooklyn DodgersLeo Durocher[90]
1943St. Louis CardinalsBilly Southworth105–4918Cincinnati RedsBill McKechnie[91]
1944St. Louis CardinalsBilly Southworth105–4914+1⁄2Pittsburgh PiratesFrankie Frisch[92]
1945Chicago CubsCharlie Grimm98–563St. Louis CardinalsBilly Southworth[93]
1946St. Louis CardinalsEddie Dyer98–582Brooklyn DodgersLeo Durocher[94]
1947Brooklyn DodgersBurt Shotton94–605St. Louis CardinalsEddie Dyer[95]
1948Boston BravesBilly Southworth91–626+1⁄2St. Louis CardinalsEddie Dyer[96]
1949Brooklyn DodgersBurt Shotton97–571St. Louis CardinalsEddie Dyer[97]
1950Philadelphia PhilliesEddie Sawyer91–632Brooklyn DodgersBurt Shotton[98]
1951New York GiantsLeo Durocher98–591Brooklyn DodgersChuck Dressen[99]
1952Brooklyn DodgersChuck Dressen96–574+1⁄2New York GiantsLeo Durocher[100]
1953Brooklyn DodgersChuck Dressen105–4913Milwaukee BravesCharlie Grimm[101]
1954New York GiantsLeo Durocher97–575Brooklyn DodgersWalter Alston[102]
1955Brooklyn DodgersWalter Alston98–5513+1⁄2Milwaukee BravesCharlie Grimm[103]
1956Brooklyn DodgersWalter Alston93–611Milwaukee BravesFred Haney[104]
1957Milwaukee BravesFred Haney95–598St. Louis CardinalsFred Hutchinson[105]
1958Milwaukee BravesFred Haney92–628Pittsburgh PiratesDanny Murtaugh[106]
1959Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston88–682Milwaukee BravesFred Haney[107]
1960Pittsburgh PiratesDanny Murtaugh95–597Milwaukee BravesChuck Dressen[108]
1961Cincinnati RedsFred Hutchinson93–614Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston[109]
1962San Francisco GiantsAlvin Dark103–621Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston[110]
1963Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston99–636St. Louis CardinalsJohnny Keane[111]
1964St. Louis CardinalsJohnny Keane93–691Philadelphia PhilliesGene Mauch[112]
1965Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston97–652San Francisco GiantsHerman Franks[113]
1966Los Angeles DodgersWalter Alston95–671+1⁄2San Francisco GiantsHerman Franks[114]
1967St. Louis CardinalsRed Schoendienst101–6010+1⁄2San Francisco GiantsHerman Franks[115]
1968St. Louis CardinalsRed Schoendienst97–659San Francisco GiantsHerman Franks[116]

Championship Series Era (1969–Present)

Beginning in 1969, the National League pennant has been decided through a structured playoff system, culminating in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

Year Series Winning team Record Games Losing team Record Ref
19691969New York MetsE100–623–0Atlanta BravesW93–69[117]
19701970Cincinnati RedsW102–603–0Pittsburgh PiratesE87–63[118]
19711971Pittsburgh PiratesE97–653–1San Francisco GiantsW90–72[119]
19721972Cincinnati RedsW95–593–2Pittsburgh PiratesE96–59[120]
19731973New York MetsE82–793–2Cincinnati RedsW99–63[121]
19741974Los Angeles DodgersW102–603–1Pittsburgh PiratesE88–74[122]
19751975Cincinnati RedsW108–543–0Pittsburgh PiratesE92–69[123]
19761976Cincinnati RedsW102–603–0Philadelphia PhilliesE101–61[124]
19771977Los Angeles DodgersW98–643–1Philadelphia PhilliesE101–61[125]
19781978Los Angeles DodgersW95–673–1Philadelphia PhilliesE90–72[126]
19791979Pittsburgh PiratesE98–643–0Cincinnati RedsW90–71[127]
19801980Philadelphia PhilliesE91–713–2Houston AstrosW93–70[128]
1981[a]1981Los Angeles DodgersW63–473–2Montréal ExposE60–48[129]
19821982St. Louis CardinalsE92–703–0Atlanta BravesW89–73[130]
19831983Philadelphia PhilliesE90–723–1Los Angeles DodgersW91–71[131]
19841984San Diego PadresW92–703–2Chicago CubsE96–65[132]
19851985St. Louis CardinalsE101–614–2Los Angeles DodgersW95–67[133]
19861986New York MetsE108–544–2Houston AstrosW96–66[134]
19871987St. Louis CardinalsE95–674–3San Francisco Giants90–72[135]
19881988Los Angeles DodgersW94–674–3New York MetsE100–60[136]
19891989San Francisco GiantsW92–704–1Chicago CubsE93–69[137]
19901990Cincinnati RedsW91–714–2Pittsburgh PiratesE95–67[138]
19911991Atlanta BravesW94–684–3Pittsburgh PiratesE98–64[139]
19921992Atlanta BravesW98–644–3Pittsburgh PiratesE96–66[140]
19931993Philadelphia PhilliesE97–654–2Atlanta BravesW104–58[141]
1994Not held due to players' strike.[142]
1995[b]1995Atlanta BravesE90–544–0Cincinnati RedsC85–59[143]
19961996Atlanta BravesE96–664–3St. Louis CardinalsC88–74[144]
19971997Florida MarlinsE†92–704–2Atlanta BravesE101–61[145]
19981998San Diego PadresW98–644–2Atlanta BravesE106–56[146]
19991999Atlanta BravesE103–594–2New York MetsE†97–66[147]
20002000New York MetsE†94–684–1St. Louis CardinalsC95–67[148]
20012001Arizona DiamondbacksW92–704–1Atlanta BravesE88–74[149]
20022002San Francisco GiantsW†95–664–1St. Louis CardinalsC97–65[150]
20032003Florida MarlinsE†91–714–3Chicago CubsC88–74[151]
20042004St. Louis CardinalsC105–574–3Houston AstrosC†92–70[152]
20052005Houston AstrosC†89–734–2St. Louis CardinalsC100–62[153]
20062006St. Louis CardinalsC83–784–3New York MetsE97–65[154]
20072007Colorado RockiesW†90–734–0Arizona DiamondbacksW90–72[155]
20082008Philadelphia PhilliesE92–704–1Los Angeles DodgersW84–78[156]
20092009Philadelphia PhilliesE93–694–1Los Angeles DodgersW95–67[157]
20102010San Francisco GiantsW92–704–2Philadelphia PhilliesE97–65[158]
20112011St. Louis CardinalsC†90–724–2Milwaukee BrewersC96–66[159]
20122012San Francisco GiantsW94–684–3St. Louis CardinalsC†88–74[160]
20132013St. Louis CardinalsC97–654–2Los Angeles DodgersW92–70[161]
20142014San Francisco GiantsW†88–744–1St. Louis CardinalsC90–72[162]
20152015New York MetsE90–724–0Chicago CubsC†97–65[163]
20162016Chicago CubsC103–584–2Los Angeles DodgersW91–71[164]
20172017Los Angeles DodgersW104–584–1Chicago CubsC92–70[165]
20182018Los Angeles DodgersW92–714–3Milwaukee BrewersC96–67[166]
20192019Washington NationalsE†93–694–0St. Louis CardinalsC91–71[167]
20202020Los Angeles DodgersW43–174–3Atlanta BravesE35–25[168]
20212021Atlanta BravesE88–734–2Los Angeles DodgersW†106–56[169]
20222022Philadelphia PhilliesE†87–754–1San Diego PadresW†89–73[170]
20232023Arizona DiamondbacksW†84–784–3Philadelphia PhilliesE†90–72[171]
20242024Los Angeles DodgersW98–644–2New York MetsE†89–73[172]

Notes

  • a A mid-season labor stoppage split the season into two halves. The winner of the first half played the winner of the second half in each division in the 1981 National League Division Series. The winners played in the 1981 NLCS for the National League pennant.[129]
  • b The leagues were re-aligned in 1994 to three divisions and a wild card was added to the playoffs, but the labor stoppage cancelled the postseason. Wild cards were first used in the 1995 playoffs.[7]

NL Pennants by Franchise

A summary of National League pennants won by each franchise, including their total postseason appearances.

Italics represent a franchise that is defunct in Major League Baseball as of the 2023 season.
Team Pennants won Postseason appearances Ref
Los Angeles Dodgers[a]2538[9]
San Francisco Giants[b]2327[10]
St. Louis Cardinals[c]1932[11]
Atlanta Braves[d]1830[12]
Chicago Cubs[e]1721[13]

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References

References

A full list of references for this article are available at the List of National League pennant winners Wikipedia page

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