is the nlcs a 7 game series?

The National League Championship Series (NLCS), also known as the National League Pennant, is a best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) postseason. It is contested by the winners of the two National League (NL) Division Series. The winner of the NLCS wins the NL pennant and advances to the World Series, MLB's championship series, to play the winner of the American League's (AL) Championship Series. The NLCS began in 1969 as a best-of-five playoff and used this format until 1985, when it changed to its current best-of-seven format.

Prior to 1969, the National League champion (the "pennant winner") was determined by the best win–loss record at the end of the regular season. There were four ad hoc three-game playoff series due to ties under this formulation (in 1946, 1951, 1959, and 1962).

A structured postseason series began in 1969, when both the National and American Leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, East and West. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advance to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.

The NLCS and ALCS, since the expansion to seven games, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home field advantage, and games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not. Home field advantage is given to the team that has the better record, except a division champion would always get home advantage over a Wild Card team. From 1969 to 1993, home field advantage was alternated between divisions each year regardless of regular season record and from 1995 to 1997 home field advantage was predetermined before the season.

In 1981, a one-off division series was held due to a split season caused by a players' strike.

In 1994, the league was restructured into three divisions, with the three division winners and a wild card team advancing to a best-of-five postseason round, the now-permanent National League Division Series (NLDS). The winners of that round advance to the best-of-seven NLCS.

The Milwaukee Brewers, an American League team between 1969 and 1997, and the Houston Astros, a National League team between 1962 and 2012, are the only franchises to play in both the ALCS and NLCS. The Astros are the only team to have won both an NLCS (2005) and an ALCS (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022). The Astros made four NLCS appearances before moving to the AL in 2013. Every current National League franchise has appeared in the NLCS and all teams except the Brewers have won an NL Pennant via the NLCS.

For the first time in history, two wild card teams played in the 2022 National League Championship Series

The Warren C. Giles Trophy is awarded to the NLCS winner.[1] Warren Giles served as president of the National League from 1951 to 1969.[2]

A Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the outstanding player in the NLCS. No MVP award is given for Division Series play.

The MVP award has been given to a player on the losing team twice, in 1986 to Mike Scott of the Houston Astros and in 1987 to Jeffrey Leonard of the San Francisco Giants.

Although the National League began its LCS MVP award in 1977, the American League did not begin its LCS MVP award until 1980.[3] The winners are listed in several locations:

In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of wins, then by number of appearances, and finally by year of first appearance. In the "Season(s)" column, bold years indicate winning appearances.

In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven. The NLCS and ALCS , since the expansion to seven games, are always played in a 2–3–2 format: games 1, 2, 6, and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home field advantage, and games 3, 4, and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not.

In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series (NLCS) determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series.

Prior to 1969, the National League Champion (the "Pennant Winner") was determined by the best won-loss record at the end of the regular season. There was an occasional ad hoc playoff series due to ties under this formulation, as also happened in the American League.

A structured playoff series began in 1969, when both the National and American Leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, East and West. The two division winners within each league played each other in a best-of-five series to determine who would advanced to the World Series. In 1985, the format changed to best-of-seven.

The NLCS and ALCS, since the expansion to best-of-seven, are always played in a 2-3-2 format: Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 are played in the stadium of the team that has home field advantage, and Games 3, 4 and 5 are played in the stadium of the team that does not. Home field advantage is given to the team that has the better record, unless that team happens to be the Wild Card team. In that case, the other team gets home field advantage.

In 1981, a divisional series was held due to split-season caused by strike action.

In 1994, the league was restructured into three divisions, with the three division winners and a wild-card team advancing to a best-of-five playoff round, the National League Division Series (NLDS). The winners of that round advance to the best-of-seven NLCS.

The Houston Astros are the only team in Major League Baseball history to win an NLCS (2005) and an ALCS (2017,2019). The Milwaukee Brewers are the only other MLB franchise to play in both an NLCS (2011, 2018) and an ALCS (1982) but have not won an NLCS as of 2021.

A Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is given to the outstanding player in each series, though voters can consider performances made during the divisional series. The Warren Giles Trophy is awarded to the NLCS winner.

For National League pennant winners prior to 1969, see National League pennant winners 1901-68 and National League pennant winners 1876-1900.

†Denotes wild-card team (since 1995).

This National League Championship Series, or NLCS, is the final round of the National League playoffs that determines the winner of the National League Pennant. The National League Pennant winner is considered the top team in the National League.

The National League Championship Series is a best-of-seven game series between the winners of the National League Division Series (NLDS) in which the first team to four wins is crowned the National League Champion. The National League Championship Series winner then advances to the World Series to play against the American League Championship Series (ALCS) winner in one last best-of-seven series.

The two teams play their first two games at the home stadium of the team with the higher seed, which is the team with the better record in almost every case. The next two games are played at the lower seed’s home stadium. If neither team has acquired four wins yet, the next game also occurs at the lower seed’s home field on the next night. The final two games are hosted by the higher seed on an as-needed basis until one team reaches four wins.

The only instance in which the better record does not host first would be in the odd case that:

The NL wild card is restricted to hosting second in both the NLDS and the NLCS.

The two teams who win their National League Division Series meet and play in the National League Championship Series. This penultimate series determines which team will represent the National League in the World Series.

The National League Championship Series was first played in 1969, when it was a best-of-five series played between the East and West division winners. In 1984, it was changed to be a best-of-seven series.

1. And for the first time in franchise history, the Florida Marlins are headed to the National League Championship Series.