| League | National League |
|---|---|
| Sport | Major League Baseball |
| Founded | 1994 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Milwaukee Brewers (2024; 5th title) |
| Most titles | St. Louis Cardinals (12) |
The National League Central is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. This division was created in 1994, by moving two teams from the National League West (the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros) and three teams from the National League East (the Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St. Louis Cardinals).
When the division was created in 1994, the Pirates were originally supposed to stay in the East while the Atlanta Braves were to be moved to the Central from the West. However, the Braves, wanting to form a natural rivalry with the expansion Florida Marlins, requested to remain 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.[1] Since then, the Pirates have tried several times unsuccessfully to be placed back in the East.[2][3]
In 1998, the NL Central became the largest division in Major League Baseball when the Milwaukee Brewers were moved in from the American League Central, which gave them six teams.[4][5][6] In 2013, the Astros moved to the American League West.[7][8]
This division has been dominated by the Cardinals, who have accounted for 12 of the 26 division championships, plus three wild card wins. Aside from the Cardinals, the Cubs have the second most division championships with six, as well as three wild card wins. The Brewers have five divisional championships, with two wild card wins. The Astros had four division titles and two wild card wins. The Reds have three division titles, along with one wild card win. The Pirates have not won the division since the division was created, but possess three wild card appearances. The 2013 win was the Pirates’ first and only playoff berth since 1992.
- ^ Chass, Murray. "BASEBALL; Pirates Relent on New Alignment". nytimes.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
- ^ "Starkey: Pirates in American League' Yes!". TribLIVE.com. June 16, 2011. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
- ^ Starkey, Joe (June 16, 2011). "Starkey: Pirates in American League? Yes!". www.tribliveoffers.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Service, New York Times News (November 6, 1997). "BREWERS TO PLAY IN NL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Newhan, Ross (March 8, 1998). "Brewers Gain a National Following". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Holtzman, Jerome (November 7, 1997). "BREWERS' MOVE TO NL TAKES THEM BACK TO THEIR LEAGUE OF GLORY". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ José, Roberto; Franco, Andrade (October 18, 2023). "How Astros-Rangers rivalry defines the state of Texas". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Barzilla, Scott. "Houston Astros: How To Build a Rivalry with the Texas Rangers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 8, 2024.