Horse Racing stats man, Andy has contributed to OLBG for 18 years - An Ipswich fan and F1 fanatic, he also contributes EFL football and Motor Sport opinion.
MLB National League Guide
In this blog we will be focusing on the National League in the MLB, we will be looking ahead to the 2024 season, looking at what exactly the National League is and looking at the teams competing to win the East, Central and West leagues in 2024.
In this blog you will find:
2024 MLB National League Preview
Who will win the 2024 National League Pennant?
We will head into the 2024 MLB season with an expected familiar betting market with the most successful national league teams towards the top of the market. Looking to land their twenty-fifth National League pennant is the Los Angeles Dodgers who have made thirty-five postseason appearances for their twenty-four pennants. They did draw a blank between 1989 & 2016 when they did not win a single pennant but they have now won it in 2017, 2018 & 2020 meaning they have won three of the last seven and were losers in the 2021 series which means it would be no surprise to see them head the market.
The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2022 National League pennant defeating the Padres and that was their first success since landing back-to-back pennants in 2008 & 2009. They have now won six of the last eight National League Championship Series that they have featured in having been beaten in the 2023 NLCS.
The San Francisco Giants head into 2024 still sitting one pennant win behind the Dodgers, a win in 2024 would mean they would draw level with the Dodgers for the number of pennant wins and would have done it from fewer postseason appearances too, they are sitting on twenty-three pennant wins from their twenty-six postseason appearances.
Remember throughout the 2024 MLB season to head over to the MLB free picks predictions to see which MLB teams are being predicted to win today, you can also read our blog on the World Series ahead of the new season and also our dedicated blog on the MLB American League.
| MLB National League 2024 24 Apr @ 20:09 - Win League | ||
|---|---|---|
| LA Dodgers | 2.60 | |
| ATL Braves | 3.10 | |
| PHI Phillies | 7.00 | |
| CHI Cubs | 15.00 | |
| ARI Diamondbacks | 17.00 | |
| STL Cardinals | 17.00 | |
| SD Padres | 18.00 | |
| PIT Pirates | 23.00 | |
| CIN Reds | 26.00 | |
| NY Mets | 29.00 | |
Who won the National League pennant last year?
Having last won the National League pennant back in 2001 and only appearing in one since (2007), the Arizona Diamondbacks finally ended their wait in 2023 when landing only their second pennant.
They found themselves 3-2 down after five games with the Phillies just one win away from sealing the series but they made home advantage pay in the final two games and clinched the series 4-3.
What is the MLB National League?
The National League is one of the two leagues which form the MLB, the other being the American League. The National League is the oldest still existing professional team sports league in the world having been founded in 1876 when it replaced the NAPBBP. The league was founded with eight teams, of those the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves are the only two teams who are still active in the league although the Braves have undergone changes having originally played in Boston.
These were the 'original eight' franchises of the National League:
- Athletic Club of Philadelphia (expelled after the 1876 season)
- Boston Red Stockings (exist today as the Atlanta Braves)
- Chicago White Stockings (exist today as the Chicago Cubs)
- Cincinnati Red Stockings (expelled after the 1879 season)
- Hartford Dark Blues (folded after the 1877 season)
- Louisville Colonels (folded after the 1877 season)
- Mutual Club of New York (expelled after the 1876 season)
- St Louis Brown Stockings (folded after the 1877 season)
The other teams which now make up the National League have joined over the years, these are when the current teams joined, they may have joined under different names and locations at the time, the Giants (New York Gothams) & Phillies (Philadelphia Quakers) were formed in 1883, the Pirates (Pittsburgh Alleghenys) came onto the scene in 1887, both the Reds and Dodgers (Brooklyn Grays) joined in 1890, the Cardinals (St. Louis Browns) in 1892. Those eight teams created the 'Classic Eight' which made up the league from 1900 until 1952 before a further expansion happened, the Mets were established in 1962 along with the Astros (Houston Colt .45s), the Nationals (Montreal Expos) and the Padres in 1969, then in 1993 the Marlins (Florida Marlins) and Colorado Rockies were added.
In 1998 the Diamondbacks were added which took the number up to fifteenth, the sixteenth and final team was added in 1998 when the Brewers moved from the American League. Because of the offset with sixteen teams being in the National League and only fourteen teams in the American League, the logical decision to move a team over to the American League was taken in 2013, that team was the Houston Astros meaning the leagues were now equally split with fifteen teams apiece.
The Dodgers' success in 2020 moved them one clear of the Giants for pennant wins, there are five franchises who all have over fifteen pennant wins which you can find below, the Dodgers have played in five of the last eight NLCS winning three of those.
Most Successful Franchises in the National League
- 24 Pennants - LA Dodgers
- 23 Pennants - SF Giants
- 19 Pennants - STL Cardinals
- 18 Pennants - ATL Braves
- 17 Pennants - CHI Cubs
Who will win the NL East 2024?
The Atlanta Braves lead the way in the NL East for divisional titles, they have won eighteen in total including all of the last six between 2018-23 and are seven clear of the Phillies who have eleven titles to their name but have not won one since winning their fifth consecutive title in 2011.
The Pirates are no longer in the East but they did claim nine titles in this division and then it's the Mets with six and the Nationals with five, the Marlins are yet to win the division whilst both the Cardinals (3) and Cubs (2) have both won division titles but like the Pirates are no longer in the division.
Atlanta Braves
Founded in 1871, the team was originally based in Boston and remained there until 1952, whilst in Boston they underwent plenty of changes of name, starting as the original Red Stockings and then being known as the Red Caps, Beaneaters, Doves, Rustlers, Braces & Bees! In 1953 the team moved to Milwaukee where they spent twelve years before finally finding their home in Atlanta in 1966 where they have remained. The team placed in the West Division between 1969-93 and has been in the East Division since 1994, they are a four-time World Series winner with their last coming in 2021. Since 2017 they have played their home games at Truist Park having previously played at the Fulton County Stadium (1966-96) and Turner Field (1997-2016) in their time in Atlanta.
- World Series Win: 4 (Last win 2021)
- AL/NL Pennants: 18 (Last win 1999)
- Division Titles: 23 (Last win 2023)
- Manager: Brian Snitker
Miami Marlins
The Marlins started life in Miami Gardens as the Florida Marlins where they played their home games at the Hard Rock Stadium from 1993 until 2011, then in 2012 they moved to Miami with a change to the Miami Marlins and they now play their home games at Marlins Park, they have been ever-present in the East Division, a division in which they have never actually won, their two world series successes which came in 1997 & 2003 both came through a wild card berth and those were their only two world series appearances meaning they are unbeaten in the world series!
- World Series Win: 2 (Last win 2003)
- AL/NL Pennants: 2 (Last win 2003)
- Division Titles: 0
- Manager: Skip Schumaker
New York Mets
The Mets play their home games at the Citi Field which is a nineteen-minute drive over the East River from their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees' home stadium. Founded in 1962 they have been known as the Mets and based in New York throughout their existence, their home has changed, they did play at the Polo Ground until 1963 and then the Shea Stadium from 1964 till 2008 before moving to their current stadium. They were created to fill a hole that was left following the relocation of the Dodgers (Brooklyn) and Giants (NY) who moved to LA and San Franciso with the NY teams going from three to just one, the Mets have won two world series (1969 & 1986) although they have lost both world series they have appeared in since 2000.
- World Series Win: 2 (Last win 1986)
- AL/NL Pennants: 5 (Last win 2015)
- Division Titles: 6 (Last win 2015)
- Manager: Vacant
Philadelphia Phillies
Established in 1883, the Phillies have been ever-present in Philadelphia although they have been known under several nicknames, originally the Quakers which was changed to the Phillies and then the Blue Jays before returning to the Phillies in 1890. They have played their home games at Citizens Bank Park since 2004, before that they played at Recreation Park (1883-86), Baker Bowl (1887-1938), Connie Mack Stadium (1937-70) and the Veterans Stadium (1971-2003). It did look like the team was going to go their first one hundred years without winning a World Series but then in 1980, their ninety-seventh year as a team they landed their first World Series and then they only had to wait twenty-eight years for their next and only other win in 2008, they lost in the 2022 world series.
- World Series Win: 2 (Last win 2008)
- AL/NL Pennants: 8 (Last win 2022)
- Division Titles: 11 (Last win 2011)
- Manager: Rob Thomson
Washington Nationals
Established in Montreal as the Montreal Expos in 1969, the team spent the first thirty-five years of their existence playing in Montreal until 2005 when they moved to the Capital to become the eighth franchise to be based in Washington. For the first three seasons, they played their home games at the RFK Stadium (Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium) but moved to Nationals Park in 2008, an eight-minute drive from the RFK Stadium and have been there ever since. They had to wait thirty years for their first taste of success, their first-ever World Series appearance came in 2019, they made the playoffs via a wild card and became the seventh wild card World Series champions by defeating the Astros 4-3.
- World Series Win: 1 (Last win 2019)
- AL/NL Pennants: 1 (Last win 2019)
- Division Titles: 5 (Last win 2017)
- Manager: Dave Martinez
Who will win the NL Central 2024?
The St Louis Cardinals are by far the most successful team in the National League Central with a total of twelve championship wins with their last coming in 2022, the Chicago Cubs' win in 2020 moved them on to six, however, that is still some six championship wins fewer than the Cardinals.
The Astros, now in the AL West won this four times, as have the Milwaukee Brewers following their win in 2023 whilst the Cincinnati Reds have won it three times. The only team with a zero are the Pittsburgh Pirates, however, they do have nine division titles to their name in the NL East having only joined the Central in 1994.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have always been based in Chicago since being established in 1876 although they have changed nicknames, originally the White Stockings changed to the Colts in 1890, then the Orphans in 1898 before finally settling with the Cubs in 1903. The franchise went through several stadiums before settling at Wrigley Field where they have played their home games since 1916, they have won three world titles with the most recent coming in 2016, some one hundred and eight years (1908) after their last winning title with many blaming the 'Curse of the Billy Goat' which was said to have been placed on the franchise in 1945 which was their last winning NL pennant year until 2016! They have won the Central Division title twice since 'breaking the curse' with wins in 2017 & 2020.
- World Series Win: 3 (Last win 2016)
- AL/NL Pennants: 17 (Last win 2016)
- Division Titles: 8 (Last win 2020)
- Manager: Craig Counsell
Cincinnati Reds
Established in 1881, the Reds have always been at home in Cincinnati, they were originally known as the Red Stockings which was shortened to just the Reds in 1890, however, in 1954 it was changed to the Redlegs before returning to just the Reds in 1959 which it remains today. The Big Red Machine has played their home games at the Great American Ball Park since 2003, they are five-time World Series champions but have not been crowned champions since 1990 and have not made the World Series either since last winning it, their most recent success was back in 2012 when they landed the NL Central Division title.
- World Series Win: 5 (Last win 1990)
- AL/NL Pennants: 9 (Last win 1990)
- Division Titles: 10 (Last win 2012)
- Manager: David Bell
Milwaukee Brewers
The franchise was created in 1969 and they were based in Seattle as the Pilots, however, they only lasted one year in Seattle before moving to Milwaukee in 1970 and becoming the Brewers, they played their home games at the Milwaukee County Stadium for their first thirty-one years in Milwaukee before moving to the American Family Field in 2001 where they remain today. The Brewers are yet to win a World Series, they have only ever appeared in one World Series which was back in 1982, they went on to lose that series 4-3 to the Cardinals, and they picked up the American League pennant that year having played in that league between 1969-1997 but they have played in the National League since 1998.
- World Series Win: 0
- AL/NL Pennants: 1 (Last win 1982)
- Division Titles: 6 (Last win 2023)
- Manager: Matt Arnold
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates have been based in Pennsylvania since their creation in 1882, they were originally called simply 'Allegheny', a county in Pennsylvania, in 1887 they changed their name to the 'Pittsburgh Alleghenys' and then four years later became the 'Pittsburgh Pirates' which remained ever since. They have moved stadium several times, they currently play at the PNC Park which has been their home since 2001 and is their sixth home, they have five world titles but their last one was back in 1979 and they have not made a World Series since, they won the East Division nine times but since moving to the Central Division in 1994, they are yet to win the division title.
- World Series Win: 5 (Last win 1979)
- AL/NL Pennants: 9 (Last win 1979)
- Division Titles: 9 (Last win 1992)
- Manager: Derek Shelton
St. Louis Cardinals
The second most successful franchise in the MLB is the St. Louis Cardinals who have won a total of eleven World Series from their nineteen appearances in the post-season series, they have made four in the twenty-first century, losing in both 2004 & 2013 but winning in both 2006 & 2011. Established in 1882, they were originally known as the Brown Stockings which was shortened to the Browns in 1883, in 1899 they were then known as the Perfectos before finding their current name which has stuck since 1900. They play their home games at Busch Stadium which has been their home since 2006, before that they spent thirty-nine seasons at Busch Memorial Stadium.
- World Series Win: 11 (Last win 2011)
- AL/NL Pennants: 19 (Last win 2013)
- Division Titles: 15 (Last win 2022)
- Manager: Oliver Marmol
Who will win the NL West 2024?
This division has been dominated by the Dodgers, they had won it every season since 2013, which was eight consecutive championship wins and in total, they have won it twenty-one times, however, their run came to an end in 2021 when they were beaten by the narrowest of margins by the Giants who had a 107-55 season compared to the Dodgers 106-56! That win moved the Giants on to 9 divisional titles, but in 2022 & 2023 it was more success for the Dodgers which moved them twelve clear of the Giants.
The Cincinnati Reds (7), Atlanta Braves (5) and Houston Astros (2) have all previously won the division but are no longer in the division whilst the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks both have won the division five times. The Colorado Rockies are the only franchise with a zero next to their name that has never won the division, their only previous route into the playoffs has been via the wild card berths.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Formed in 1998, the Arizona Diamondbacks who are often known as simply the D-Backs became the fastest expansion team to win a World Series having done so in just their fourth season (2001) when defeating the Yankees 4-3, however, they have only made one World Series since when defeated in 2023. They did win the division championship a year later in 2002 and have also done so in both 2007 & 2011 but failed to go on to win the NLCS in any of those three seasons. They have played their home games at Chase Field since their creation although it was previously known as the Bank One Ballpark between 1998-2005.
- World Series Win: 1 (Last win 2001)
- AL/NL Pennants: 2 (Last win 2023)
- Division Titles: 5 (Last win 2011)
- Manager: Torey Lovullo
Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are one of the five teams who have never won a World Series, their only chance of success came in 2007 when making their only World Series appearance, unfortunately, it was a whitewash by the Red Sox who went on to win 4-0. Since their creation in 1993, they have yet to land a division title, they have made the post-season five times, all of which came via a wild card berth. They started off playing at the Mile High Stadium but after only two seasons there, they moved to Coors Field in 1995 where they have remained ever since.
- World Series Win: 0
- AL/NL Pennants: 1 (Last win 2007)
- Division Titles: 0
- Manager: Bud Black
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers may have won seven World Series but their record is not one of the greatest, they have made the World Series a total of twenty-one times which means because they have won seven, they only have a 33% win percentage losing fourteen of those finals, they did make three of the four world series between 2017-20 and after losing in both 2017 & 2018, they finally tasted success in 2020, their first world series success since 1988. The franchise was established in 1883 in Brooklyn where they remained until 1957 under numerous names which included Grays, Atlantics, Bridegrooms, Grooms, Superbas, Trolley Dodgers, Dodgers & Robins before moving to LA in 1958 where they have always been known as the Dodgers and have played at Dodgers Stadium since 1962.
- World Series Win: 7 (Last win 2020)
- AL/NL Pennants: 24 (Last win 2020)
- Division Titles: 21 (Last win 2023)
- Manager: Dave Roberts
San Diego Padres
Created in 1969, the San Diego Padres have not tasted too much success, they are yet to win a World Series, and they have an aggregate series score of 1-8 in the two World Series they played in, losing 4-1 to the Tigers in 1984 and 4-0 to the Yankees in 1998. In their fifty-one season history, they have made the post-season just six times, between 2007 & 2019 they did not make a single playoff before losing the NL Divisional Series in 2020 after getting into the post-season via a wild card berth. They originally started off playing their home games at Qualcomm Stadium before moving to Petco Park in 2004 where they remain to this day.
- World Series Win: 0
- AL/NL Pennants: 2 (Last win 1998)
- Division Titles: 5 (Last win 2006)
- Manager: Vacant
San Francisco Giants
The Giants are fifth on the most successful MLB teams list having landed eight World Series but they do have a poor return having lost 60% of their World Series appearances, and they have lost twelve of their twenty. A lot of those losses came before 2000 and have won the last three world series they have made, winning in 2010, 2012 & 2014 which is a much better record. The team was established in New York in 1883 as the Gothams but then became the New York Giants in 1885, they remained in NY till the end of the 1957 season before being relocated to San Francisco where they have been since 1958, from 1960 until 1999 they played their home games at Candlestick Park and then since 2000 have played at Oracle Park.
- World Series Win: 8 (Last win 2014)
- AL/NL Pennants: 23 (Last win 2014)
- Division Titles: 9 (Last win 2021)
- Manager: Bob Melvin
Article Contributor Information
Andy Powell stands as the linchpin behind OLBG's dynamic baseball content, blending his passion for the MLB and international leagues like NPB and KBO by creating and maintaining the baseball content on OLBG which includes this MLB National League Preview.
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