View source for National League (baseball)

{{Short description|League within Major League Baseball}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox sports league
| title           = National League
| current_season  = 
| logo            = MLB National League logo.svg
| pixels          = 200
| last_season     = 
| upcoming_season = 
| sport           = [[Baseball]]
| founder         = [[William Hulbert]]<br>[[Albert Spalding]]
| founded         = {{start date and age|1876|2|2}} in [[New York City]], New York
| inaugural       = 
| teams           = 15
| divisions       = 3
| continent       = North America
| champion        = [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (26th title) <!-- refers to NL championship, not World Series title -->
| champ_season    = 
| most_champs     = [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (26) <!-- refers to NL championships, not World Series titles -->
| most successful club = 
| country<!--ies--> = {{Plainlist|
* United States
<!--* Canada-->}}
| President       = [[Bill Giles (baseball)|Bill Giles]] (honorary)<ref>{{cite news|first=Mike|last=Jensen|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20081016__Fantastic_feeling__for_Bill_Giles.html|title='Fantastic feeling' for Bill Giles|newspaper=Philadelphia Inquirer|date=October 16, 2008|access-date=May 7, 2017|archive-date=October 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019110033/http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20081016__Fantastic_feeling__for_Bill_Giles.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
The '''National League of Professional Baseball Clubs''', known simply as the '''National League''' ('''NL'''), is the older of two [[sports league|leagues]] constituting [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]], and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the [[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players]] (NAPBBP) of 1871–1875 (often called simply the "National Association"), the NL is sometimes called the '''Senior Circuit''', in contrast to MLB's other league, the [[American League]], which was founded 25 years later and is called the "Junior Circuit". Each league has 15 teams.

The National League survived competition from various other professional baseball leagues during the late 19th century. Most did not last for more than a few seasons, with a handful of teams joining the NL once their leagues folded. The American League declared itself a second major league in 1901, and the AL and NL engaged in a "baseball war" during 1901 and 1902 before agreeing to a "peace pact" that recognized each other as legitimate "major leagues". As part of this agreement, the leagues agreed to respect player contracts, establish rules about relationships with [[Minor League Baseball|minor league]] clubs, and allow their champions to meet in a "[[World Series]]" to decide the overall professional baseball championship. National League teams have won 53 of the 121 World Series championships contested from 1903 to 2025.

For decades, Major League baseball clubs only played teams from their own league during the regular season and most of the playoffs, with only their champions facing off in the World Series. This separation gradually caused the leagues to develop slightly different strategies and styles of play. The National League was long considered the more "traditional" league, a reputation most exemplified by the NL's more prevalent use of "[[Small ball (baseball)|smallball]]" tactics and lack of a [[designated hitter]] rule, which the AL implemented in 1973. However, with the advent of [[Free agency (Major League Baseball)|free agency]] in the 1970s allowing for more player movement between leagues, and the introduction of regular season [[interleague play]] in 1997, the difference in play between the two major leagues has diminished considerably. The NL's adoption of the designated hitter rule in {{mlby|2022}}, and the expansion of interleague play to 46 games beginning in {{mlby|2023}}, has further blurred the lines between leagues.

Though both leagues agreed to be jointly governed by a [[Commissioner of Baseball|commissioner]] in 1920, they remained separate legal and business entities with their own president and management. This was the case until after the 1999 season, when the National League legally merged with the American League under the auspices of Major League Baseball, which has since operated much like other North American professional sports leagues, albeit with two "leagues" instead of "conferences".

==History==
===Foundation===
By 1875, the [[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players]] (NAPBBP, often referred to as the "National Association"), founded four years earlier, was suffering from a lack of strong authority over clubs, unsupervised scheduling, unstable membership of cities, dominance by one team (the [[Boston Braves|Boston Red Stockings]]), and an extremely low entry fee ($10) that gave clubs no incentive to abide by league rules when it was inconvenient to them.

[[William Hulbert|William A. Hulbert]] (1832–1882), a [[Chicago]] businessman and an officer of the [[Chicago Cubs|Chicago White Stockings]] of 1870–1889, approached several NA clubs with the plans for a professional league for the sport of baseball with a stronger central authority and exclusive territories in larger cities only. Additionally, Hulbert had a problem: five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a great vested interest in creating his own league, and after recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in [[Louisville, Kentucky]], in January 1876. With Hulbert speaking for the five later in New York City on February 2, 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was established with eight charter members, as follows:<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/almanac----weekly/story.aspx?guid={D7AC1A0C-DAFA-42EE-A8C9-5BBB9E237651}&dist=msr_1 |title=The Almanac – weekly |date=January 27, 2009 |access-date=February 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607201939/http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/almanac----weekly/story.aspx?guid=%7BD7AC1A0C-DAFA-42EE-A8C9-5BBB9E237651%7D&dist=msr_1 |archive-date=June 7, 2011  }}</ref>
* [[Chicago Cubs|Chicago ("Chicago White Stockings")]] (according to ''[[The Baseball Encyclopedia]]''{{'}}s retroactive naming convention) from the NA (now the Chicago Cubs, not to be confused with the current [[Chicago White Sox]] of the [[American League]])
* [[Philadelphia Athletics (1860–1876)|Athletic Club of Philadelphia ("Philadelphia Athletics")]] from the NA (expelled after the 1876 season)
* [[Boston Braves|Boston ("Boston Red Stockings")]], the dominant team in the NA (later the [[Boston Braves]], then the [[Milwaukee Braves]], now the [[Atlanta Braves]], not to be confused with the present-day [[Boston Red Sox]] of the later American League)
* [[Hartford Dark Blues|Hartford ("Hartford Dark Blues")]] from the NA (folded after the 1877 season)
* [[New York Mutuals|Mutual Club of New York ("New York Mutuals")]] from the NA (expelled after the 1876 season)
* [[St. Louis Brown Stockings|St. Louis ("St. Louis Brown Stockings")]] from the NA (folded after the 1877 season, having committed to Louisville Stars for 1878)
* [[Cincinnati Reds (1876–1879)|Cincinnati ("Cincinnati Reds")]], a new franchise (disbanded after the 1879 season)
* [[Louisville Grays|Louisville ("Louisville Grays")]], a new franchise (folded after the 1877 season when four players were banned for gambling)

The National League's formation meant the end of the old National Association after only five seasons, as its remaining clubs shut down or reverted to amateur or minor league status. The only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the [[Philadelphia White Stockings|White Stockings or later Phillies]].

The first game in National League history was played on April 22, 1876, at [[History of Philadelphia|Philadelphia]]'s [[Jefferson Street Grounds]], at 25th & Jefferson Streets, between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston baseball club. Boston won the game 6–5.

The new league's authority was soon tested after the first season. The Athletic and Mutual clubs fell behind in the standings and refused to make western road trips late in the season, preferring to play games against local non-league competition to recoup some of their financial losses rather than travel extensively incurring more costs. Hulbert reacted to the clubs' defiance by expelling them, an act which not only shocked baseball followers and the sports world (since New York and Philadelphia were the two most populous cities in the league), but made it clear to clubs that league scheduling commitments, a cornerstone of competitive integrity, were not to be ignored.

The National League operated with only six clubs during 1877 and 1878. Over the next several years, various teams joined and left the struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight charter members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain still in operation today as the [[Atlanta Braves]] and the [[Chicago Cubs]]. When all eight participants for 1881 returned for 1882—the first off-season without turnover in membership—the "circuit" consisted of a zig-zag line connecting the eight cities: [[Chicago]], [[Detroit]], [[Cleveland]], [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[Troy, New York|Troy]] (near the state capital of [[Albany, New York]]), [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] ([[Massachusetts]]), [[Boston]], and [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]].

In 1883, new [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia]] clubs began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city and the New York franchise (later named Giants) now in [[San Francisco]] since 1958.

===Competition with other leagues===
The NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the [[American Association (1882–1891)|American Association]] began play in 1882. The AA played in cities where the NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, and sold cheaper tickets everywhere (25 cents versus the NL's standard 50 cents, a hefty sum for many in 1882). The NL struck back by establishing new clubs in 1883 in AA cities Philadelphia (later called "Phillies") and New York (the team that would become the Giants).

The National League and the American Association participated in a version of the [[World Series]] seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series (1885 and 1890) ending in disputed ties. The NL won four times and the AA only once, in 1886.

Starting with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded. This undercut the stability of the AA.

Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the [[Union Association]] and the [[Players' League]]. The Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion [[St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers|St. Louis Maroons]] joining the NL. The Players' League was established in 1890 by the Brotherhood of Professional Base-Ball Players, the sport's first players' union, which had failed to persuade the NL to modify its labor practices, including a [[salary cap]] and a [[reserve clause]] that bound players to their teams indefinitely. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players' League, but the P.L. collapsed after one season. The Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players' League counterparts.

===Expansion (1887–1899)===
The labor strike of 1890 hastened the downfall of the American Association. After the 1891 season, the AA disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the "National League and American Association". The teams now known as the [[Cincinnati Reds]], [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (originally Brooklyn) and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (as well as the now-defunct [[Cleveland Spiders]]) had already switched from the AA to the NL prior to 1892. With the merger, the NL absorbed the St. Louis Browns (now known as the [[St. Louis Cardinals]]), along with three other teams that did not survive into the 20th century—the [[Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)|Baltimore Orioles]] (not the current MLB team), [[Louisville Colonels]], and [[Washington Statesmen]].

While four teams that moved from the AA remain in the NL today (Pittsburgh [1887], Cincinnati [1890], Los Angeles [originally Brooklyn; 1890], and St. Louis [1892]), only two original NL franchises (1876) remain in the league: the [[Chicago Cubs]] and the [[Atlanta Braves]] (originally in Boston, and later Milwaukee). The Cubs are the only charter member to play continuously in the same city. The other two pre-1892 teams still in the league are the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants (originally New York), both of which joined in 1883.

The National League became a 12-team circuit with monopoly status for the rest of the decade. The league became embroiled in numerous internal conflicts, not the least of which was a plan supported by some owners (and bitterly opposed by others) to form a "trust", wherein there would be one common ownership of all twelve teams. The NL used its [[monopsony]] power to force a $2,400 (${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|2400|1894|r=-3}} }} today) limit on annual player wages in 1894.

As the 20th century dawned, the NL was in trouble. Conduct among players was poor, and fistfights were a common sight at games. In addition to fighting each other, they fought with the umpires and often filled the air at games with foul language and obscenities. A game between the Orioles and Boston Beaneaters (a precursor to today's Atlanta Braves) in 1894 ended up having tragic consequences when players became engaged in a brawl and several boys in the stands of the [[South End Grounds]] started a fire. The blaze quickly got out of hand and swept through downtown Boston, destroying or damaging 100 buildings. Team owners argued with each other, and players hated the NL's $2,400 salary cap. Many teams also ran into trouble with city governments that [[blue law|forbade recreational activities on Sunday]].

[[Billy Sunday]], a prominent outfielder in the 1880s, became so disgusted with the behavior of teammates that he quit playing in 1891 to become one of America's most famous evangelical Christian preachers. Most fans appear to have felt the same way, because attendance at games was plummeting by 1900.

===Partnership with the American League===
After eight seasons as a 12-team league, the NL contracted back to eight teams for the 1900 season, eliminating its teams in [[Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)|Baltimore]], [[Cleveland Spiders|Cleveland]], [[Louisville Colonels|Louisville]] (which has never had another major league team since), and [[Washington Senators (1891–1899)|Washington]]. This provided an opportunity for competition. Three of those cities received franchises in the newly christened American League (AL) when the minor Western League changed its name to the AL in 1900, with the approval of the NL, which regarded the AL as a lesser league since they were a party to the National Agreement. The AL declined to renew its National Agreement membership when it expired the next year, and on January 28, 1901, the AL officially declared itself a second major league in competition with the NL. By 1903, the upstart AL had placed new teams in the National League cities of [[Boston]], Chicago, New York, [[Philadelphia]], and [[St. Louis]], as well as the "abandoned" NL cities Cleveland and Washington (and, temporarily, Baltimore). Only the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates had no AL team in their markets. The AL among other things enforced a strict conduct policy among its players.

The National League at first refused to recognize the new league, but reality set in as talent and money was split between the two leagues, diluting the league and decreasing financial success. After two years of bitter contention, a new version of the National Agreement was signed in 1903. This meant formal acceptance of each league by the other as an equal partner in major-league baseball, mutual respect of player contracts, and an agreement to play a postseason championship—the [[World Series]].

Major League Baseball narrowly averted radical reorganization in November 1920. Dissatisfied with [[American League]] President and [[National Baseball Commission]] head [[Ban Johnson]], NL owners dissolved the league on November 8 during heated talks on MLB reorganization in the wake of the [[Black Sox Scandal]]. Simultaneously, three AL teams also hostile to Johnson ([[Boston Red Sox]], [[Chicago White Sox]], and [[New York Yankees]]) withdrew from the AL and joined the eight NL teams in forming a new National League; the 12th team would be whichever of the remaining five AL teams loyal to Johnson first chose to join; if none did so an expansion team would have been placed in [[Detroit]], by far the largest one-team city at that time. Four days later, on November 12, both sides met (without Johnson) and agreed to restore the two leagues and replace the ineffective National Commission with a one-man Commissioner in the person of federal Judge [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Koppett |first1=Leonard |title=Koppett's Concise History of Major League Baseball |date=2004 |publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers |location=New York |isbn=9780786712861 |page=141}}</ref>

The National League circuit remained unchanged from 1900 through 1952. In 1953 the [[Boston Braves|Braves]] moved from Boston to [[Milwaukee]]; in 1966 they moved again, to [[Atlanta]]. In 1958 the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] and the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]] moved to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively, bringing major league baseball to the West Coast of the U.S. for the first time.

===Divisional reorganization===
The NL remained an eight-team league for over 60 years. (For the eight teams, see [[#Expansion (1887–1899)|Expansion (1887–1899)]] above, and [[#"Classic Eight"|"Classic Eight"]] below.) In 1962—facing competition from the proposed [[Continental League]] and confronted by the [[American League]]'s unilateral expansion in 1961—the NL expanded by adding the [[New York Mets]] and the Houston Colt .45s. The "Colts" were renamed the [[Houston Astros]] three years later. In 1969, the league added the [[San Diego Padres]] and the [[Montreal Expos]] (now the [[Washington Nationals]]), becoming a 12-team league for the first time since 1899.

In 1969, as a result of its expansion to 12 teams, the National League—which for its first 93 years had competed equally in a single grouping—was reorganized into two [[division (sport)|divisions]] of six teams (respectively named the [[National League East]] and [[National League West|West]], although geographically it was more like North and South), with the division champions meeting in the [[National League Championship Series]] (an additional round of postseason competition) for the right to advance to the World Series.

In 1993 the league expanded to 14 teams, adding the [[Colorado Rockies]] and the [[Miami Marlins|Florida Marlins]] (which became the Miami Marlins shortly after the end of the 2011 season). In 1998, the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] became the league's fifteenth franchise, and the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] moved from the AL to the NL, giving the NL 16 teams for the next 15 seasons.

In 1994, the league was again reorganized, into three geographical divisions (East, West and [[National League Central|Central]], all currently with five teams; from 1994 to 1997 the West had one fewer team, and from 1998 to 2012, the Central had one more team). A third postseason round was added at the same time: the three division champions plus a [[wild card (sports)|wild card]] team (the team with the best record among those finishing in second place) now advance to the preliminary [[National League Division Series]]. Due to a players' strike, however, the postseason was not actually held in 1994.

Before the 1998 season, the American League and the National League each added a fifteenth team. Because of the odd number of teams, only seven games could possibly be scheduled in each league on any given day. Thus, one team in each league would have to be idle on any given day. This would have made it difficult for scheduling, in terms of travel days and the need to end the season before October. In order for MLB officials to continue primarily intraleague play, both leagues would need to carry an even number of teams, so the decision was made to move one club from the AL Central to the NL Central. Eventually, Milwaukee agreed (after Kansas City declined) to change leagues; the National League now had 16 teams, the American League 14 with the switch.<ref>For more details, see [[History of professional baseball in Milwaukee#1994–1998: Taking it National]].</ref>

Beginning with the 2013 season, the Houston Astros moved from the National League Central to the American League West, which now gave both leagues three divisions of five teams each<ref>{{Cite news|last=Memmott|first=Mark|date=November 17, 2011|title=Baseball's Houston Astros To Switch Leagues In 2013|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2011/11/17/142467483/baselballs-houston-astros-to-switch-leagues-in-2013|access-date=February 25, 2022}}</ref> and necessitated interleague play throughout the season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DYK: The first 20 years of Interleague Play |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/20-years-of-interleague-play-c212597146 |access-date=2025-10-02 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Designated hitter rule===
Often characterized as being a more "traditional" or "pure" league, the National League did not adopt the [[designated hitter]] rule until the shortened [[2020 Major League Baseball season|2020 season]]. Only the American League previously adopted the rule in 1973. In theory, this meant that the role of the [[manager (baseball)|manager]] was greater in the National League than in the American League, because the NL manager must take offense into account when making pitching substitutions and vice versa. However, this was disputed by some, such as former Detroit Tigers manager [[Jim Leyland]], who claimed that the American League is more difficult because AL managers are required to know exactly when to pull a pitcher, whereas an NL manager merely pulls his pitcher when that spot comes up in the batting order.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2011/05/detroit_tigers_manager_jim_ley_12.html|title=Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland compares managing in AL and NL|author=Mayo, David|work=Mlive.com|date=May 22, 2011|access-date=April 1, 2017}}</ref> Overall, there were fewer [[home run]]s and runs scored in the National League than in the American, due to the presence of the [[pitcher]] in the NL batting order.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Historical Evolution of the Designated Hitter Rule {{!}} Society for American Baseball Research|url=https://sabr.org/research/historical-evolution-designated-hitter-rule|website=sabr.org|access-date=May 19, 2020|archive-date=June 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601030711/https://sabr.org/research/historical-evolution-designated-hitter-rule|url-status=dead}}</ref> As the [[collective agreement|collective bargaining agreement]] came closer to expiring after the 2021 season, owners expressed their intentions to use the designated hitter in all games starting in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MLB will likely have the universal DH in 2022; which NL teams are ready for the change, and who needs help?|url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-will-likely-have-the-universal-dh-in-2022-which-nl-teams-are-ready-for-the-change-and-who-needs-help/|access-date=February 25, 2022|website=CBSSports.com|date=January 4, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> In response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in North America|COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020, rule changes were instituted in both leagues for the [[2020 Major League Baseball season|2020 season]], which included an abbreviated 60-game schedule, the use of the designated hitter in all games, and expanded rosters.<ref>Brookover, Bob (May 11, 2020) [https://www.inquirer.com/phillies/phillies-coronavirus-return-expanded-playoffs-20200511.html COVID-19 accelerating changes that will be part of baseball forever] ''Philadelphia Inquirer''. Retrieved July 30, 2020.</ref>

The National League reverted to its old batting rules during the [[2021 Major League Baseball season|2021 season]], but starting with the [[2022 Major League Baseball season|2022 season]], they permanently adopted the designated hitter rule after a new CBA was ratified.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Everything you need to know about '22 season|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2022-season-faq|access-date=March 10, 2022|website=MLB.com|language=en}}</ref>

===Permanent interleague play===
For the first 96 years of its coexistence with the American League, National League teams faced their AL counterparts only in exhibition games, the All-Star Game, or in the World Series. Beginning in 1997, however, [[interleague play|interleague games]] have been played during the regular season and count in the standings. Prior to the early 2020s – before the universal designated hitter rule was started in both leagues – as part of the agreement instituting interleague play, the DH rule was used only in games where the American League team was the home team.

In 1999, the offices of American League and National League presidents were discontinued and all authority was vested in the Commissioner's office. The leagues subsequently appointed "honorary" presidents to carry out ceremonial roles such as the awarding of league championship trophies. Additionally, the distinction between AL and NL umpires was erased, and instead all umpires were unified under MLB control. Following these actions, as well as the institution of interleague play, little besides the DH rule remained to differentiate the two leagues.

By 2011, MLB had changed its policy on interleague play, deciding to schedule interleague games throughout the season rather than only during specially designated periods. This policy would allow each league to have 15 teams, with one team in each league playing an interleague game on any given day. As a condition of the sale of the Astros to [[Jim Crane]] in November 2011, the team agreed to move to the American League effective with the 2013 season.<ref>For more details, see [[Houston Astros#2010–2014: Last years in the NL and move to the AL West]].</ref>

In 2023, National League teams played 46 regular season interleague games against all 15 American League teams, 23 at home and 23 on the road. In 2025, this will be increased to 48 regular season interleague games, 24 at home and 24 on the road.

===Champions===
As of the end of the 2024 season, the Dodgers have won the most NL pennants, with 25. Representing the National League against the American League, the Cardinals have won the most World Series (11), followed by the Dodgers (9), Giants (8), Pirates (5), and Reds (5). St. Louis also holds the distinction of being the only AA club to defeat an NL club in the 19th-century version of the World Series, having done so against their now-division rival Cubs.

==Teams==
{{hatnote|Note: Team names are given here according to the convention used by [[The Baseball Encyclopedia]], which regularized them into the familiar form of modern team names. However, most teams in the early period had no name, aside from that of the club (as in "Hartford Base Ball Club" or "Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia"), and nicknames like "Beaneaters," "Perfectos" and the many allusions to uniform colors were inventions by the florid sportswriters of the day.<ref>According to the National League's 1877 Constitution, the member clubs were given as "Boston B. B. Club, Chicago B. B. Club, Cincinnati B. B. Club, Hartford B. B. Club, Louisville B. B. Club, St. Louis B. B. Club." ''Constitution and Playing Rules of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs''. Chicago, A. G. Spalding 1877.</ref>}}

===Charter franchises (1876)===
The eight charter teams were the following:
* [[Philadelphia Athletics (1860–1876)|Athletic Club of Philadelphia]] from National Association, expelled after 1876 season
* [[Boston Braves|Boston "Red Stockings" or "Red Caps"]]<ref>Dewey, Donald & Acocella, Nicholas. ''The Ball Clubs'', p. 28. [[HarperPerennial]], 1996. {{ISBN|0-06-273403-2}}.</ref><ref>''United Press''. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19430421&id=LncbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3716,285292 "Once Pirates Were Called Innocents!"]. ''[[The Pittsburgh Press]]'', April 21, 1943, p. 31. Retrieved on May 15, 2013.</ref><ref>Shaughnessy, Dan. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1914&dat=19991020&id=qCQgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iGoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1781,3646668 "This Series is fantasy baseball"]. ''[[Sun Journal (Lewiston)]]'', October 20, 1999, p. C1. Retrieved on May 15, 2013.</ref><ref>Boston, like most early teams, had no official name, just nicknames applied by sports reporters, often derived from their uniforms</ref>) from National Association (exist today as the Atlanta Braves)
* [[Chicago Cubs|Chicago "White Stockings"]] from National Association (exist today as the Chicago Cubs)
* [[Cincinnati Reds (1876–1879)|Cincinnati "Red Stockings"]] new franchise, expelled after 1879 season
* [[Hartford Dark Blues|Hartford "Dark Blues"]] (later the Brooklyn Hartfords) from National Association, folded after 1877 season
* [[Louisville Grays|Louisville "Colonels" or "Grays"]] new franchise, folded after 1877 season
* [[New York Mutuals|Mutual Club of New York]] or "Green Stockings" from National Association, expelled after 1876 season
* [[St. Louis Brown Stockings|St Louis "Brown Stockings"]] from National Association, folded after 1877 season

===Other franchises, 1878–1892===
;Joined in 1878
: [[Indianapolis Blues]], folded after 1878
: [[Milwaukee Grays]], folded after 1878
: [[Providence Grays]], folded after 1885
;Joined in 1879
: [[Buffalo Bisons (National League)|Buffalo Bisons]], dropped out of the league after 1885
: [[Cleveland Blues (National League)|Forest City of Cleveland]], folded after 1884
: [[Syracuse Stars (National League)|Syracuse Stars]], folded after 1879
: [[Troy Trojans (National League)|Troy Trojans]], folded after 1882
;Joined in 1880
: [[Cincinnati Stars]], dropped from the National League after the season for refusing to sign a pledge to end beer sales in their park.
: [[Worcester Worcesters|Worcester Ruby Legs]], folded after 1882
;Joined in 1881
: [[Detroit Wolverines]], folded after 1888
;Joined in 1883
: [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Gothams]] (exist today as the San Francisco Giants)
: [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia Quakers]] (exist today as the Philadelphia Phillies)
;Joined in 1885
: [[St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers|St. Louis Maroons]], joined from U.A.  Relocated to Indianapolis for 1887 season as the Indianapolis Hoosiers, folded after 1889
;Joined in 1886
: [[Kansas City Cowboys (National League)|Kansas City Cowboys]], folded after 1886
: [[Washington Nationals (1886–1889)|Washington Nationals]], folded after 1889
;Joined in 1887
: [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh Alleghenys]] (exist today as the Pittsburgh Pirates), joined from AA
;Joined in 1889
: [[Cleveland Spiders]], joined from AA, folded after 1899
;Joined in 1890
: [[Cincinnati Reds]], joined from AA (exist today)
: [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Grays]] (exist today as the Los Angeles Dodgers), joined from AA
;Joined in 1892
: [[Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)|Baltimore Orioles]], joined from AA, contracted after 1899
: [[Louisville Colonels]], joined from AA, contracted after 1899
: [[St. Louis Cardinals|St. Louis Browns]] (exist today as the St. Louis Cardinals), joined from AA
: [[Washington Senators (1891–1899)|Washington Senators]], joined from AA, contracted after 1899

==="Classic Eight"===
The eight-team lineup established in 1900 remained unchanged through 1952.  All franchises are still in the league, with five remaining in the same city.
* Boston (nicknamed at various times the "Red Stockings", "Red Caps", "Beaneaters" and "Doves", in 1912 named the Boston Braves, then Milwaukee Braves, now the [[Atlanta Braves]])
* Brooklyn (variously labeled the "Bridegrooms", "Grooms", "Superbas", "Robins", "Trolley Dodgers", and "Bums", later called the Brooklyn Dodgers, now the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]])
* Chicago (at first called by reporters the "White Stockings", then "Infants", "Colts", "Orphans", "Remnants" and by 1906 the [[Chicago Cubs]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/chc/history/timeline01.jsp|title=Cubs Timeline}}</ref>
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] (shortened from early "Red Stockings")
* New York Giants (sometimes "Gothams" and occasionally "Maroons", now the [[San Francisco Giants]]. "Giants" was in general press usage as early as the 1885 season and is probably the oldest consistent nickname in baseball, depending on how one categorizes "Phillies")
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] (variously "Quakers", "Nationals" and "Pearls." Their ultimate name was just a shortening of the conventional plural-form "Philadelphias.")
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pittsburgh]] (founded in Allegheny, a Pittsburgh suburb at the time which has since been annexed by the city, then claimed Pittsburgh as their home city but continued to be referred to as before as "Alleghenys." After "pirating" a player from the Athletics in the Players League collapse in 1890 were tagged "Pirates" in the press.)
* [[St. Louis Cardinals|St. Louis]] (at various times "Brown Stockings", "Browns", "Red Stockings" and "Reds", and today officially the Cardinals and unofficially "Redbirds")

===Expansion, relocation, and renaming, 1953–present===
{{see also|Major League Baseball relocation of 1950s–1960s}}
* 1953: [[Boston Braves]] move to Milwaukee
* 1958: [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] move to Los Angeles and New York Giants (baseball) move to San Francisco
* 1962: [[Houston Astros#1962–1964: The Colt .45s|Houston Colt .45s]] and [[New York Mets]] enfranchised
* 1965: [[Houston Astros|Houston Colt .45s]] renamed Astros
* 1966: [[Milwaukee Braves]] move to Atlanta
* 1969: [[Montreal Expos]] and [[San Diego Padres]] enfranchised
* 1993: [[Colorado Rockies]] and [[Miami Marlins|Florida Marlins]] enfranchised
* 1998: [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] enfranchised
* 1998: [[Milwaukee Brewers]] moved from the American League.
* 2005: [[Montreal Expos]] moved by MLB to Washington, D.C., renamed the [[Washington Nationals]]
* 2012: Florida Marlins renamed the [[Miami Marlins]]
* 2013: [[Houston Astros]] moved to the American League.

===Current teams===
{{NL Team Maps (2017–present)}}
====National League East====
{{main|National League East}}
[[File:Shea Crowded.jpg|thumb|right|Shea Stadium prior to the start of a [[New York Mets]] game in 2008. Shea had the best attendance in the National League that year, drawing over 53,000 fans per game on average.]]
* [[Atlanta Braves]], the oldest continually operating team in North American sports. Originally from [[Boston Braves|Boston]] and known as "Beaneaters" and other nicknames, as original nickname faded and became re-associated with Cincinnati (and later with the [[Boston Red Sox]]). Adopted name "Braves" in 1912. Moved to [[Milwaukee Braves|Milwaukee]] (1953) and to Atlanta (1966). Prior to the 1994 realignment, the Braves competed in the West division.
* [[Miami Marlins]], enfranchised 1993 as the Florida Marlins, changed name to Miami Marlins (2012).
* [[New York Mets]], enfranchised 1962.
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]], enfranchised 1883 and adopted the Phillies name officially in 1884.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} The team is the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in American professional sports history,<ref>{{cite web |title=History: Phillies Timeline (1800s) |publisher=Philadelphia Phillies |url=http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/history/timeline01.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070129060937/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/history/timeline01.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2007 |access-date=July 11, 2010}}</ref> although the Cubs (who adopted their name after the Phillies' establishment) are older, as are the Braves, who have moved twice.
* [[Washington Nationals]], enfranchised 1969 as the [[Montreal Expos]]. Moved to [[Washington, D.C.]] (2005).

====National League Central====
{{main|National League Central}}
* [[Chicago Cubs]] enfranchised 1870 as an independent professional team, chartered into the National Association in 1871, but suspended operations for 1872 and 1873 following the [[Great Chicago Fire]].  The team has been continuously active since 1874, making it the oldest continuously active team in its original city in Major League Baseball. It joined the National League as a charter member (1876). Originally called the "Chicago White Stockings" and later the "Chicago Colts" and several other names, the team was first called "Cubs" in 1902.
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] enfranchised 1882 in American Association, at first tagged "Red Stockings", joined National League (1890).
* [[Milwaukee Brewers]] enfranchised 1969 as the [[Seattle Pilots]] in American League, moved to Milwaukee (1970), transferred to National League (1998).
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] enfranchised 1882 in American Association, joined National League (1887), dubbed "Pirates" for signing [[Lou Bierbauer]] away from the Athletics in 1891.
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] enfranchised 1882 in American Association, labeled "Brown Stockings" or just "Browns",  joined National League (1892), later "Perfectos", eventually "Cardinals" for their red trim, now often "Redbirds."

====National League West====
{{main|National League West}}
* [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] enfranchised 1998
* [[Colorado Rockies]] enfranchised 1993
* [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] enfranchised 1883 as a minor league team, entered into the American Association as the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Atlantics]] in 1884, soon acquired nickname "Dodgers" (from "trolley dodgers"), joined National League (1890). Also dubbed "Bridegrooms", "Superbas", "Robins" and "Bums" at various times, in addition to "Dodgers". Moved to Los Angeles (1958)
* [[San Diego Padres]] enfranchised 1969, sometimes called "Friars" or "Dads".
* [[San Francisco Giants]] enfranchised in [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York City]] 1883, nearly half of its original players were members of the then just disbanded [[Troy Trojans (National League)|Troy club]], nickname "Giants" in widespread use by 1886, moved to San Francisco (1958)

==Timeline==
The first line is the formation of the National League (NL) in 1876, and the second is the transformation of the [[American League]] (AL) to a major league in 1901, signifying the beginning of modern baseball. The third line is the beginning of the expansion era in 1961. The fourth line marks the legal merger of the American and National Leagues into a single [[Major League Baseball]] in 2000.

[[World Series]] championships are shown with a "•", National League Pennants before the World Series are shown with a "^", and American League Pennants who lost the World Series are shown with a "#". No World Series was played in 1904, so the pennant winners for each league are indicated. Due to the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike]], there were no pennant or World Series winners in 1994, so this year is left blank.

* Prior to 1876, only teams from the National Association (NA) that established the NL are shown.
* Between 1876 and 1901, in addition to the NL teams, only American Association (AA) and Union Association (UA) teams that eventually joined the NL are shown.

<timeline>
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1200 height:auto barincrement:25
PlotArea = left:0 right:50 bottom:20 top:20

Colors =
 id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)
 id:lineColor   value:gray(0.6)
 id:nl1         value:gray(0.9)
 id:inactive    value:gray(0.5)

 id:gold        value:rgb(0.99,0.72,0.15)
 id:brown       value:rgb(0.36,0.20,0.10)
 id:vegasgold   value:rgb(0.80,0.72,0.49)
 id:green       value:rgb(0,0.51,0.28)
 id:darkgreen   value:rgb(0,0.20,0)
 id:orange      value:rgb(1,0.39,0)
 id:redorange   value:rgb(1,0.23,0)
 id:red         value:rgb(0.80,0.01,0.07)
 id:red2        value:rgb(0.90,0.01,0.07)
 id:darkred     value:rgb(0.50,0,0)
 id:iceblue     value:rgb(0.20,0.60,0.80)
 id:lgray       value:gray(0.1)
 id:gray        value:gray(0.3)
 id:gray2       value:gray(0.5)
 id:sand        value:rgb(0.94,0.89,0.77)
 id:navy        value:rgb(0,0,0.28)
 id:navy2       value:rgb(0,0,0.39)
 id:teal        value:rgb(0,0.65,0.65)
 id:teal2       value:rgb(0,0.45,0.45)
 id:turquoise   value:rgb(0,0.65,0.85)

Period = from:1855 till:2027
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
ScaleMajor = start:1860 increment:10 gridcolor:majorGridColor

LineData = 
 at:1876 color:lineColor #Formation of NL
 at:1901 color:lineColor #Formation of AL
 at:1961 color:lineColor #Expansion Era Begins
 at:2000 color:lineColor #Legal merger into MLB

BarData =
 bar:MNY   # Mutual of New York 
 bar:AOP   # Athletic of Philadelphia
 bar:CHC   # Chicago White Stockings / Colts / Orphans / Cubs
 bar:ATL   # Boston Red Stockings / Red Caps / Beaneaters / Doves / Rustlers / Braves / Bees / Milwaukee Braves / Atlanta Braves
 bar:HAR   # Hartford Dark Blues / Brooklyn Hartfords
 bar:SLBS  # St. Louis Brown Stockings
 bar:CINR  # Cincinnati Red Stockings
 bar:LOU   # Louisville Grays
 bar:IND   # Indianapolis Blues
 bar:MILG  # Milwaukee Grays
 bar:PRO   # Providence Grays
 bar:BUF   # Buffalo Bisons
 bar:CLEB  # Cleveland Blues
 bar:SYR   # Syracuse Stars
 bar:TRY   # Troy Trojans
 bar:CINS  # Cincinnati Red Stars
 bar:WRC   # Worcester Worcesters
 bar:DETW  # Detroit Wolverines
 bar:SF    # New York Giants / San Francisco Giants
 bar:PHI   # Philadelphia Phillies
 bar:SLI   # St. Louis Maroons / Indianapolis Hoosiers
 bar:KCC   # Kansas City Cowboys
 bar:WSHN  # Washington Nationals 
 bar:PIT   # Pittsburgh Pirates
 bar:CLES  # Cleveland Spiders
 bar:CIN   # Cincinnati Reds
 bar:LAD   # Brooklyn Dodgers / Los Angeles Dodgers
 bar:BALO  # Baltimore Orioles (AA)
 bar:LOUC  # Louisville Colonels
 bar:STL   # St. Louis Browns / Cardinals
 bar:WSHS  # Washington Senators          
 bar:BLA   # Baltimore Orioles (1901–1902)
 bar:NYM   # New York Mets
 bar:HOU   # Houston Colt .45s  / Houston Astros
 bar:MIL   # Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers         
 bar:SD    # San Diego Padres
 bar:WSH   # Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals
 bar:COL   # Colorado Rockies
 bar:MIA   # Florida Marlins / Miami Marlins
 bar:AZ    # Arizona Diamondbacks

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Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,)
Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,)
Define $Right2 = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,)
Define $DownRight2 = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,-10)
Define $Down = shift:(,-10)

Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1)
Define $UpLeft2 = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1)
Define $UpRight2 = anchor:till align:right shift:(-1,1)
Define $UpRight3 = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1)
Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1)
Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10)
Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:left shift:(2,-10)

Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10)

Define $champ = text:"•" textcolor:white fontsize:XL shift:(5,-5)
Define $champ2 = text:"^" textcolor:white fontsize:L shift:(5,-5)
Define $champ3 = text:"#" textcolor:white shift:(5,1)

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 color:inactive
 textcolor:black
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 fontsize:S
 mark:(line,black)
 anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till
 align:center  # other options are align:left  align:right
 shift:(0,-5)

# Note on dates: A team's bar begins with the season that team played its first game, and ends with the season after that team played its last game. For example, the Cincinnati Red Stockings played their first game in 1876, the first season of the National League, and played their last game in 1880. Therefore, their bar goes from 1876 to 1881.

# --- Charter NL Franchises in 1876   
 bar:MNY  from:1857 till:1871 color:nl1          text:"(NABBP)"
 bar:MNY  from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"(NA)"
 bar:MNY  from:1876 till:1877 color:green        text:"New York Mutuals"                                  $Right link:/wiki/New_York_Mutuals

 bar:AOP  from:1860 till:1871 color:nl1          text:"(NABBP)"
 bar:AOP  from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"(NA)"
 bar:AOP  from:1876 till:1877 color:blue         text:"Philadelphia Athletics"                            $Right link:/wiki/Athletic_of_Philadelphia

 bar:CHC  from:1876 till:end                     link:/wiki/Chicago_Cubs
 bar:CHC  from:1870 till:1871 color:nl1          text:"(NABBP)"                                           $Left
 bar:CHC  from:1871 till:1872 color:nl1          text:"(NA)"                                              $UpRight
 bar:CHC  from:1874 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"    "                                              $Up
 bar:CHC  from:1876 till:1890 color:black        text:"Chicago White Stockings"       textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:CHC  from:1890 till:1898 color:gray         text:"Chicago Colts"                 textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:CHC  from:1898 till:1903 color:navy         text:"Chicago Orphans"               textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:CHC  from:1903 till:end  color:darkblue     text:"Chicago Cubs"                  textcolor:white      $DownRight2
 at:CHC at:1876 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1880 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1881 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1882 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1885 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1886 $champ2 mark:(line, black)
 at:CHC at:1906 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1907 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1908 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1910 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1918 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1929 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1932 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1935 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1938 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:1945 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:CHC at:2016 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)

 bar:ATL  from:1876 till:end                     link:/wiki/Atlanta_Braves
 bar:ATL  from:1871 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"Boston Red~Stockings (NA)"                         $UpLeft
 bar:ATL  from:1876 till:1883 color:red          text:"Boston Red Caps"                                   $Down
 bar:ATL  from:1883 till:1907 color:red2         text:"Boston Beaneaters"             textcolor:navy      $Down
 bar:ATL  from:1907 till:1911 color:red          text:"Boston Doves"                  textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:ATL  from:1911 till:1912 color:navy2        text:"Boston Rustlers"               textcolor:white     $DownRight
 bar:ATL  from:1912 till:1936 color:navy         text:"Boston Braves"                 textcolor:red2      $Up
 bar:ATL  from:1936 till:1941 color:darkblue     text:"Boston~Bees"                   textcolor:gold      $Up
 bar:ATL  from:1941 till:1953 color:navy         text:"Boston Braves"                 textcolor:red2      $Down
 bar:ATL  from:1953 till:1966 color:navy2        text:"Milwaukee Braves"              textcolor:red2      $Down
 bar:ATL  from:1966 till:end  color:navy         text:"Atlanta Braves"                textcolor:white     $DownRight2
 at:ATL at:1883 $champ2 mark:(line, red)
 at:ATL at:1877 $champ2 mark:(line, red)
 at:ATL at:1878 $champ2 mark:(line, red)
 at:ATL at:1891 $champ2 mark:(line, red2)
 at:ATL at:1892 $champ2 mark:(line, red2)
 at:ATL at:1893 $champ2 mark:(line, red2)
 at:ATL at:1897 $champ2 mark:(line, red2)
 at:ATL at:1898 $champ2 mark:(line, red2)
 at:ATL at:1914 $champ mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1948 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1957 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:ATL at:1958 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:ATL at:1991 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1992 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1995 $champ mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1996 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:1999 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)
 at:ATL at:2021 $champ mark:(line, navy)

 bar:HAR  from:1874 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"(NA)"                                              $Left
 bar:HAR  from:1876 till:1878 color:darkblue     text:"Hartford Dark Blues"                               $UpRight
 bar:HAR  from:1877 till:1878 color:navy         text:"Brooklyn Hartfords"                                $DownRight

 bar:CINR from:1876 till:1880 color:red          text:"Cincinnati Red Stockings"                          $Right

 bar:LOU  from:1876 till:1878 color:gray         text:"Louisville Grays"                                  $Right

 bar:SLBS from:1875 till:1876 color:nl1          text:"(NA)"                                              $Left
 bar:SLBS from:1876 till:1878 color:brown        text:"St. Louis Brown Stockings"                         $Right

# --- 1878
 bar:IND  from:1878 till:1879 color:blue         text:"Indianapolis Blues"                                $Right

 bar:MILG from:1878 till:1879 color:gray         text:"Milwaukee Grays"                                   $Right

 bar:PRO  from:1878 till:1886 color:skyblue      text:"Providence Grays"                                  $Right
 at:PRO at:1879 $champ2 mark:(line, skyblue)
 at:PRO at:1884 $champ2 mark:(line, skyblue)

# --- 1879       
 bar:BUF  from:1879 till:1886 color:gray2        text:"Buffalo~Bisons"                textcolor:white     $Up

 bar:CLEB from:1879 till:1885 color:navy         text:"Cleveland Blues"                                   $Right

 bar:SYR  from:1879 till:1880 color:brown        text:"Syracuse Stars"                                    $Right

 bar:TRY  from:1879 till:1883 color:green        text:"Troy Trojans"                                      $Right

# --- 1880
 bar:CINS  from:1880 till:1881 color:red         text:"Cincinnati Stars"                                  $Right

 bar:WRC  from:1880 till:1883 color:brown        text:"Worcester Worcesters"                              $Right

# --- 1881
 bar:DETW from:1881 till:1889 color:vegasgold    text:"Detroit~Wolverines"                                $Up
 at:DETW at:1887 $champ2 mark:(line, vegasgold)

# --- 1883
 bar:SF   from:1883 till:end                     link:/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants
 bar:SF   from:1883 till:1885 color:black        text:"New York Gothams"                                  $Left
 bar:SF   from:1885 till:1958 color:orange       text:"New York Giants"                                   $Down
 bar:SF   from:1958 till:end  color:black        text:"San Francisco Giants"          textcolor:white    $DownRight2
 at:SF at:1888 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1889 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1904 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1905 $champ mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1911 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1912 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1913 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1917 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1921 $champ mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1922 $champ mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1923 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1924 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1933 $champ mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1936 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1937 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1951 $champ3 mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1954 $champ mark:(line, orange)
 at:SF at:1962 $champ3 mark:(line, black)
 at:SF at:1989 $champ3 mark:(line, black)
 at:SF at:2002 $champ3 mark:(line, black)
 at:SF at:2010 $champ mark:(line, black)
 at:SF at:2012 $champ mark:(line, black)
 at:SF at:2014 $champ mark:(line, black)

 bar:PHI  from:1883 till:end                     link:/wiki/Philadelphia_Phillies
 bar:PHI  from:1883 till:1942  color:red2        text:"Philadelphia Phillies"         textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:PHI  from:1942 till:1943 color:red          text:"Philadelphia Phils"            textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:PHI  from:1943 till:end  color:red2         text:"Philadelphia Phillies"         textcolor:white     $DownRight2
 at:PHI at:1915 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:1950 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:1980 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:1983 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:2008 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:2009 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:PHI at:2022 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)

# --- 1884
 bar:SLI  from:1884 till:1885 color:nl1          text:"(UA)"                                              $Left
 bar:SLI  from:1885 till:1887 color:darkred      text:"St. Louis Maroons"                                 $UpRight
 bar:SLI from:1887 till:1890 color:red2       text:"Indianapolis Hoosiers"                              $DownRight

# --- 1886
 bar:KCC  from:1886 till:1887 color:oceanblue    text:"Kansas City Cowboys"                               $Right

 bar:WSHN from:1886 till:1890 color:darkblue     text:"Washington Nationals"                              $Right

# --- 1887
 bar:PIT  from:1887 till:end                     link:/wiki/Pittsburgh_Pirates
 bar:PIT  from:1882 till:1887 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"                                              $Left
 bar:PIT  from:1887 till:1891 color:navy2        text:"Alleghenys"                                        $UpRight
 bar:PIT  from:1891 till:end  color:yelloworange text:"Pittsburgh Pirates"                                $Right2
 at:PIT at:1901 $champ2 mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1902 $champ2 mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1903 $champ3 mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1909 $champ mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1925 $champ mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1927 $champ3 mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1960 $champ mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1971 $champ mark:(line, yelloworange)
 at:PIT at:1979 $champ mark:(line, yelloworange)

# --- 1889
 bar:CLES from:1889 till:1900                    link:/wiki/Cleveland_Spiders
 bar:CLES from:1887 till:1889 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"                                              $Left
 bar:CLES from:1889 till:1900 color:black        text:"Cleveland~Spiders"             textcolor:white     $Up

# --- 1890 
 bar:CIN  from:1890 till:end                     link:/wiki/Cincinnati_Reds
 bar:CIN  from:1882 till:1890 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"
 bar:CIN  from:1890 till:1953 color:red          text:"Cincinnati Reds"               textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:CIN  from:1953 till:1959 color:red2         text:"Cincinnati Redlegs"            textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:CIN  from:1959 till:end  color:red          text:"Cincinnati Reds"               textcolor:white     $Right2
 at:CIN at:1919 $champ mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1939 $champ3 mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1940 $champ mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1961 $champ3 mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1970 $champ3 mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1972 $champ3 mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1975 $champ mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1976 $champ mark:(line, red)
 at:CIN at:1990 $champ mark:(line, red)

 bar:LAD  from:1890 till:end                     link:/wiki/Los_Angeles_Dodgers
 bar:LAD  from:1884 till:1885 color:nl1          text:"Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays (AA)"                     $UpLeft
 bar:LAD  from:1885 till:1888 color:nl1
 bar:LAD  from:1888 till:1890 color:nl1          text:"(AA)~Bridgerooms"                                  $UpRight2
 bar:LAD  from:1890 till:1891 color:navy2
 bar:LAD  from:1891 till:1896 color:darkblue     text:"Grooms"                        textcolor:White     $UpLeft2
 bar:LAD  from:1896 till:1899 color:navy2        text:"Bridegrooms"                   textcolor:White     $Down
 bar:LAD  from:1899 till:1911 color:darkblue     text:"Superbas"                      textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:LAD  from:1911 till:1913 color:navy2        text:"Trolley~Dodgers"               textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:LAD  from:1913 till:1914 color:darkblue     text:"Dodgers"                       textcolor:white     $UpRight
 bar:LAD  from:1914 till:1932 color:navy2        text:"Brooklyn Robins"               textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:LAD  from:1932 till:1958 color:darkblue     text:"Brooklyn Dodgers"              textcolor:white     $Down
 bar:LAD  from:1958 till:end  color:navy2        text:"Los Angeles Dodgers"           textcolor:white     $DownRight2
 at:LAD at:1890 $champ2 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1899 $champ2 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1900 $champ2 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1916 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1920 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1941 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1947 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1949 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1952 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1953 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1955 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1956 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:LAD at:1959 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1963 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1965 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1966 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1974 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1977 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1978 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1981 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:1988 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:2017 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:2018 $champ3 mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:2020 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:2024 $champ mark:(line, navy2)
 at:LAD at:2025 $champ mark:(line, navy2)

# --- AA Merger
 bar:BALO from:1882 till:1892 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"
 bar:BALO from:1892 till:1900 color:orange       text:"Baltimore Orioles"                                 $Right
 at:BALO at:1894 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)
 at:BALO at:1895 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)
 at:BALO at:1896 $champ2 mark:(line, orange)

 bar:LOUC from:1882 till:1885 color:nl1          text:"Louisville Eclipse (AA)"                           $Left
 bar:LOUC from:1885 till:1892 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"
 bar:LOUC from:1892 till:1900 color:darkblue     text:"Louisville~Colonels"           textcolor:white     $Up

 bar:STL  from:1892 till:end                     link:/wiki/St._Louis_Cardinals
 bar:STL  from:1882 till:1883 color:nl1          text:"St. Louis Brown Stockings (AA)"                    $Left
 bar:STL  from:1883 till:1892 color:nl1          text:"(AA)"
 bar:STL  from:1892 till:1900 color:brown        text:"St. Louis~Browns"              textcolor:white     $Up
 bar:STL  from:1900 till:end  color:red2         text:"St. Louis Cardinals"                               $DownRight2
 at:STL at:1926 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1928 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1930 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1931 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1934 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1942 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1943 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1944 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1946 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1964 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1967 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1968 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1982 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1985 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:1987 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:2004 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:2006 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:2011 $champ mark:(line, red2)
 at:STL at:2013 $champ3 mark:(line, red2)

 bar:WSHS from:1891 till:1892 color:nl1          text:"Washington Statesmen (AA)"                         $Left
 bar:WSHS from:1892 till:1900 color:gray         text:"Washington~Senators"           textcolor:white     $Up

# --- 1962 Expansion
 bar:NYM  from:1962 till:end                     link:/wiki/New_York_Mets
 bar:NYM  from:1962 till:end  color:darkblue     text:"New York Mets"                 textcolor:orange    $DownRight2
 at:NYM at:1969 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:NYM at:1973 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:NYM at:1986 $champ mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:NYM at:2000 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)
 at:NYM at:2015 $champ3 mark:(line, darkblue)

 bar:HOU  from:1962 till:end                     link:/wiki/Houston_Astros
 bar:HOU  from:1962 till:1965 color:redorange    text:"Houston Colt .45s"                                 $Left
 bar:HOU  from:1965 till:2013 color:navy         text:"Houston Astros"                textcolor:redorange 
 bar:HOU  from:2013 till:end  color:nl1          text:"(AL)"
 at:HOU at:2005 $champ3 mark:(line, navy)

# --- 1969 Expansion
 bar:MIL  from:1969 till:end                     link:/wiki/Milwaukee_Brewers
 bar:MIL  from:1969 till:1970 color:nl1          text:"Seattle Pilots (AL)"                               $Left
 bar:MIL  from:1970 till:1998 color:nl1          text:"(AL)"
 bar:MIL  from:1998 till:end  color:navy         text:"Milwaukee Brewers"             textcolor:gold      $Right2

 bar:SD   from:1969 till:end                     link:/wiki/San_Diego_Padres
 bar:SD	  from:1969 till:end  color:brown        text:"San Diego Padres"              textcolor:gold      $Right2
 at:SD at:1984 $champ3 mark:(line, brown)
 at:SD at:1998 $champ3 mark:(line, brown)

 bar:WSH  from:1969 till:end                     link:/wiki/Washington_Nationals
 bar:WSH  from:1969 till:2005 color:darkblue     text:"Montreal Expos"                textcolor:red2
 bar:WSH  from:2005 till:end  color:red          text:"Washington Nationals"          textcolor:white     $DownRight2
 at:WSH at:2019 $champ mark:(line, red)

# --- 1993 Expansion
 bar:COL  from:1993 till:end                     link:/wiki/Colorado_Rockies
 bar:COL  from:1993 till:end  color:purple       text:"Colorado Rockies"              textcolor:white     $Right2
 at:COL at:2007 $champ3 mark:(line, purple)

 bar:MIA  from:1993 till:end                     link:/wiki/Florida_Marlins
 bar:MIA  from:1993 till:2012 color:teal         text:"Florida Marlins"               textcolor:black     $Down
 bar:MIA  from:2012 till:end  color:turquoise    text:"Miami~Marlins"                 textcolor:black     $UpRight3
 at:MIA at:1997 $champ mark:(line, teal)
 at:MIA at:2003 $champ mark:(line, teal)

# --- 1998 Expansion
 bar:AZ   from:1998 till:end                     link:/wiki/Arizona_Diamondbacks
 bar:AZ   from:1998 till:end  color:darkred      text:"Arizona Diamondbacks"          textcolor:white      $Right2
 at:AZ  at:2023 $champ3 mark:(line, darkred)
 at:AZ  at:2001 $champ mark:(line, darkred)
</timeline>

==Presidents==
{{further|List of National League presidents}}
[[File:Morgan G Bulkeley.jpg|right|upright|thumb|[[Morgan Bulkeley]], the first president of the National League]]
{| class=wikitable
|+Key
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffb; text-align:center"| {{dagger}}
| Member of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Year(s)
!scope="col" class=unsortable|Ref(s)
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffb; text-align:center"| {{sortname|Morgan|Bulkeley}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
| 1876||<ref name=hulbert>{{cite news | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069385/index.htm | work=CNN | title=A Baseball Debt That's Long Overdue | date=February 26, 1990 | access-date=September 19, 2020 | archive-date=August 25, 2013 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130825210648/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1069385/index.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffb; text-align:center"| {{sortname|William|Hulbert}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
| 1877–1882 ||<ref name=hulbert/>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Arthur|Soden}}
| 1882||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Abraham G.|Mills}}
| 1883–1884||<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/abccef1b|title=A. G. Mills - SABR|work=sabr.org|access-date=October 26, 2015}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Nicholas|Young|dab=executive}}
| 1885–1902||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Harry|Pulliam}}
| 1903–1909||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|John|Heydler}}
| 1909 ||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"|{{sortname|Thomas|Lynch|dab=baseball executive}}
| 1910–1913 ||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|John K.|Tener}}
| 1913–1918 ||
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|John|Heydler}}
| 1918–1934 || <ref name=heydler1934>{{cite magazine| url=https://time.com/vault/issue/1934-11-19/page/47/ | magazine=Time | title=Frick for Heydler | page=43 | date=November 19, 1934}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffb; text-align:center"| {{sortname|Ford C.|Frick}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
| 1934–1951 || <ref name=heydler1934/><ref name=giles1951/>
|-
!scope="row" style="background:#ffb; text-align:center"| {{sortname|Warren|Giles}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
| 1951–1969 || <ref name=giles1951>https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vzpJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bQkNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2814,1681764&dq=frick+giles&hl=en {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref><ref name=feeney1969/>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Chub|Feeney}}
| 1970–1986 || <ref name=feeney1969>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EllfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3544,4174861&dq=feeney+giles&hl=en|title=St. Joseph Gazette - Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|access-date=October 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=feeney1986/>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|A. Bartlett|Giamatti}}
| 1986–1989 || <ref name=feeney1986>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ywpQAAAAIBAJ&pg=3097,3670551&dq=feeney+giamatti&hl=en|title=Ludington Daily News - Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|access-date=October 26, 2015}}</ref><ref name=white1989/>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Bill|White|dab=first baseman}}
| 1989–1994 || <ref name=white1989>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/04/sports/bill-white-a-unanimous-choice-to-head-national-league.html | work=The New York Times | first=Michael | last=Martinez | title=Bill White a Unanimous Choice to Head National League | date=February 4, 1989}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" style="text-align:center"| {{sortname|Leonard S.|Coleman, Jr.}}
| 1994–1999 ||<ref>{{cite news|first=ARTHUR Z. |last=KAMIN |date=March 6, 1994 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/06/nyregion/new-jersey-q-a-leonard-s-coleman-jr-a-new-leader-in-baseball-s-hierarchy.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm |title=New Jersey Q & A: Leonard S. Coleman Jr.; A New Leader in Baseball's Hierarchy - New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 8, 2013}}</ref><ref name=centralize/>
|}

===Honorary president===
Following the 1999 season, the American and National Leagues were merged with Major League Baseball, and the leagues ceased to exist as business entities. The role of the league president was eliminated.<ref name=centralize>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/16/sports/baseball-league-presidents-out-as-baseball-centralizes.html | work=The New York Times | first=Murray | last=Chass | title=BASEBALL; League Presidents Out As Baseball Centralizes | date=September 16, 1999}}</ref> In 2001, [[Bill Giles (baseball)|Bill Giles]], son of Warren Giles, was named honorary president of the NL.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/14/sports/transactions-799963.html | work=The New York Times | title=Transactions | date=June 14, 2001}}</ref> Honorary presidents perform only ceremonial duties such as presenting league championship trophies and representing their respective leagues at [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Games]].

===See also===
* [[List of American League presidents]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[19th-century National League teams]]
* {{anl|American League}}
* [[List of National League pennant winners]]
* [[List of National League Wild Card winners]]
* {{anl|Major League Baseball}}
* {{anl|National League Championship Series|abbr=NLCS}}
* {{anl|National League Division Series|abbr=NLDS}}
* {{anl|United Baseball League (proposed)}}
* {{anl|World Series}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''The National League Story'', Lee Allen, Putnam, 1961.
* ''The American League Story'', Lee Allen, Putnam, 1962.
* ''The Baseball Encyclopedia'', published by MacMillan, 1968 and later.

{{National League}}
{{MLB}}
{{Baseball leagues}}
{{Professional Baseball}}
{{NL Presidents}}
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