The Wild Card Series is one of the major events in Major League Baseball (MLB) as it signifies the beginning of the postseason in the league. The Wild Card consists of three teams from the National League (NL) and American League (AL) that manage to qualify for the postseason despite being not able to win in their divisions. The concept of the Wild Card system in MLB has undergone several changes since it was implemented in 1995 when the playoffs were increased to eight teams from four teams.
The MLB used one wild card team per league from 1994 to 2011. Then from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021, the league changed to include two wild card teams per league. Since 2022, the concept of three wild-card teams per league has been in use in MLB, under which, a best-of-three series games takes place. Notably, both the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) have seen their shares of winners in the Wild Card Games. The most recent Wild Card winners are the Texas Rangers in the American League (AL) and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League (NL) in 2023.
Wild Card Winners in the National League (NL)
The following table details the teams that have won the Wild Card in the National League (NL) from the beginning till 2023 -
Year
Winner
Record
%
Playoff Results
1995
Colorado Rockies
77–67
.535
Lost NLDS (Braves) 3–1
1996
Los Angeles Dodgers
90–72
.556
Lost NLDS (Braves) 3–0
1997
Florida Marlins
92–70
.568
Won NLDS (Giants) 3–0 Won NLCS (Braves) 4–2 WonWorld Series (Indians) 4–3
1998
Chicago Cubs
90–73
.552
Lost NLDS (Braves) 3–0
1999
New York Mets
97–66
.595
Won NLDS (Diamondbacks) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Braves) 4–2
2000
New York Mets
94–68
.580
Won NLDS (Giants) 3–1 Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–1 Lost World Series (Yankees) 4–1
2001
St. Louis Cardinals
93–69
.574
Lost NLDS (Diamondbacks) 3–2
2002
San Francisco Giants
95–66
.590
Won NLDS (Braves) 3–2 Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–1 Lost World Series (Angels) 4–3
2003
Florida Marlins
91–71
.562
Won NLDS (Giants) 3–1 Won NLCS (Cubs) 4–3 WonWorld Series (Yankees) 4–2
2004
Houston Astros
92–70
.568
Won NLDS (Braves) 3–2 Lost NLCS (Cardinals) 4–3
2005
Houston Astros
89–73
.549
Won NLDS (Braves) 3–1 Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–2 Lost World Series (White Sox) 4–0
2006
Los Angeles Dodgers
88–74
.543
Lost NLDS (Mets) 3–0
2007
Colorado Rockies
90–73*
.552
Won NLDS (Phillies) 3–0 Won NLCS (Diamondbacks) 4–0 Lost World Series (Red Sox) 4–0
2008
Milwaukee Brewers
90–72
.556
Lost NLDS (Phillies) 3–1
2009
Colorado Rockies
92–70
.568
Lost NLDS (Phillies) 3–1
2010
Atlanta Braves
91–71
.562
Lost NLDS (Giants) 3–1
2011
St. Louis Cardinals
90–72
.556
Won NLDS (Phillies) 3–2 Won NLCS (Brewers) 4–2 Won World Series (Rangers) 4–3
Expanded Format
2012
Atlanta Braves
94–68
.580
Lost NLWC (Cardinals)
St. Louis Cardinals
88–74
.543
Won NLWC (Braves) Won NLDS (Nationals) 3–2 Lost NLCS (Giants) 4–3
2013
Pittsburgh Pirates
94–68
.580
Won NLWC (Reds) Lost NLDS (Cardinals) 3–2
Cincinnati Reds
90–72
.556
Lost NLWC (Pirates)
2014
Pittsburgh Pirates
88–74
.543
Lost NLWC (Giants)
San Francisco Giants
88–74
.543
Won NLWC (Pirates) Won NLDS (Nationals) 3–1 Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–1 Won World Series (Royals) 4–3
2015
Pittsburgh Pirates
98–64
.605
Lost NLWC (Cubs)
Chicago Cubs
97–65
.599
Won NLWC (Pirates) Won NLDS (Cardinals) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Mets) 4–0
2016
New York Mets
87–75
.537
Lost NLWC (Giants)
San Francisco Giants
87–75
.537
Won NLWC (Mets) Lost NLDS (Cubs) 3–1
2017
Arizona Diamondbacks
93–69
.574
Won NLWC (Rockies) Lost NLDS (Dodgers) 3–0
Colorado Rockies
87–75
.537
Lost NLWC (Diamondbacks)
2018
Chicago Cubs
95–68
.583
Lost NLWC (Rockies)
Colorado Rockies
91–72
.558
Won NLWC (Cubs) Lost NLDS (Brewers) 3–0
2019
Washington Nationals
93–69
.574
Won NLWC (Brewers) Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–2 Won NLCS (Cardinals) 4–0 Won World Series (Astros) 4–3
Milwaukee Brewers
89–73
.549
Lost NLWC (Nationals)
2020
Cincinnati Reds
31–29
.517
Lost NLWC (Braves) 2–0
Milwaukee Brewers
29–31
.483
Lost NLWC (Dodgers) 2–0
2021
Los Angeles Dodgers
106–56
.654
Won NLWC (Cardinals) Won NLDS (Giants) 3–2 Lost NLCS (Braves) 4–2
St. Louis Cardinals
90–72
.556
Lost NLWC (Dodgers)
2022
New York Mets
101–61
.623
Lost NLWC (Padres) 2–1
San Diego Padres
89–73
.549
Won NLWC (Mets) 2–1 Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Phillies) 4–1
Philadelphia Phillies
87–75
.537
Won NLWC (Cardinals) 2–0 Won NLDS (Braves) 3–1 Won NLCS (Padres) 4–1 Lost World Series (Astros) 4–2
2023
Philadelphia Phillies
90–72
.556
Won NLWC (Marlins) 2–0 Won NLDS (Braves) 3–1 Lost NLCS (Diamondbacks) 4–3
Miami Marlins
84–78
.519
Lost NLWC (Phillies) 2–0
Arizona Diamondbacks
84–78
.519
Won NLWC (Brewers) 2–0 Won NLDS (Dodgers) 3–0 Won NLCS (Phillies) 4–3 LostWorld Series (Rangers) 4–1
Wild Card Winners in the American League (AL)
The following table displays the wild card winners in the American League (AL) from the beginning till 2023 -
Year
Winner
Record
%
Playoff Results
1995
New York Yankees
79–65
.549
Lost ALDS (Mariners) 3–2
1996
Baltimore Orioles
88–74
.543
Won ALDS (Indians) 3–1 Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–1
1997
New York Yankees
96–66
.593
Lost ALDS (Indians) 3–2
1998
Boston Red Sox
92–70
.568
Lost ALDS (Indians) 3–1
1999
Boston Red Sox
94–68
.580
Won ALDS (Indians) 3–2 Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–1
2000
Seattle Mariners
91–71
.562
Won ALDS (White Sox) 3–0 Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–2
2001
Oakland Athletics
102–60
.630
Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
2002
Anaheim Angels
99–63
.611
Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–1 Won ALCS (Twins) 4–1 Won World Series (Giants) 4–3
2003
Boston Red Sox
95–67
.586
Won ALDS (Athletics) 3–2 Lost ALCS (Yankees) 4–3
2004
Boston Red Sox
98–64
.605
Won ALDS (Angels) 3–0 Won ALCS (Yankees) 4–3 WonWorld Series (Cardinals) 4–0
2005
Boston Red Sox
95–67
.586
Lost ALDS (White Sox) 3–0
2006
Detroit Tigers
95–67
.586
Won ALDS (Yankees) 3–1 Won ALCS (Athletics) 4–0 Lost World Series (Cardinals) 4–1
2007
New York Yankees
94–68
.580
Lost ALDS (Indians) 3–1
2008
Boston Red Sox
95–67
.586
Won ALDS (Angels) 3–1 Lost ALCS (Rays) 4–3
2009
Boston Red Sox
95–67
.586
Lost ALDS (Angels) 3–0
2010
New York Yankees
95–67
.586
Won ALDS (Twins) 3–0 Lost ALCS (Rangers) 4–2
2011
Tampa Bay Rays
91–71
.562
Lost ALDS (Rangers) 3–1
Expanded Format
2012
Texas Rangers
93–69
.574
Lost ALWC (Orioles)
Baltimore Orioles
93–69
.574
Won ALWC (Rangers) Lost ALDS (Yankees) 3–2
2013
Cleveland Indians
92–70
.568
Lost ALWC (Rays)
Tampa Bay Rays
92–71
.564
Won ALWC (Indians) Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–1
2014
Kansas City Royals
89–73
.549
Won ALWC (Athletics) Won ALDS (Angels) 3–0 Won ALCS (Orioles) 4–0 Lost World Series (Giants) 4–3
Oakland Athletics
88–74
.543
Lost ALWC (Royals)
2015
New York Yankees
87–75
.537
Lost ALWC (Astros)
Houston Astros
86–76
.531
Won ALWC (Yankees) Lost ALDS (Royals) 3–2
2016
Toronto Blue Jays
89–73
.549
Won ALWC (Orioles) Won ALDS (Rangers) 3–0 Lost ALCS (Indians) 4–1
Baltimore Orioles
89–73
.549
Lost ALWC (Blue Jays)
2017
New York Yankees
91–71
.562
Won ALWC (Twins) Won ALDS (Indians) 3–2 Lost ALCS (Astros) 4–3
Minnesota Twins
85–77
.525
Lost ALWC (Yankees)
2018
New York Yankees
100–62
.617
Won ALWC (Athletics) Lost ALDS (Red Sox) 3–1
Oakland Athletics
97–65
.599
Lost ALWC (Yankees)
2019
Oakland Athletics
97–65
.599
Lost ALWC (Rays)
Tampa Bay Rays
96–66
.593
Won ALWC (Athletics) Lost ALDS (Astros) 3–2
2020
Chicago White Sox
35–25
.583
Lost ALWC (Athletics) 2–1
Toronto Blue Jays
32–28
.533
Lost ALWC (Rays) 2–0
2021
Boston Red Sox
92–70
.568
Won ALWC (Yankees) Won ALDS (Rays) 3–1 Lost ALCS (Astros) 4–2
New York Yankees
92–70
.568
Lost ALWC (Red Sox)
2022
Toronto Blue Jays
92–70
.568
Lost ALWC (Mariners) 2–0
Seattle Mariners
90–72
.556
Won ALWC (Blue Jays) 2–0 Lost ALDS (Astros) 3–0
Tampa Bay Rays
86–76
.531
Lost ALWC (Guardians) 2–0
2023
Tampa Bay Rays
99–63
.611
Lost ALWC (Rangers) 2–0
Texas Rangers
90–72
.556
Won ALWC (Rays) 2–0 Won ALDS (Orioles) 3–0 Won ALCS (Astros) 4–3 Won World Series (Diamondbacks) 4–1
Toronto Blue Jays
89–73
.549
Lost ALWC (Twins) 2–0
List of Wild Card Winners FAQs
A. The Florida Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Francisco Giants and the Washington Nationals from the NL Wild Card games have won MLB so far.
A. If a team wins the Wild Card Series in MLB, they then go on to play in the Division Series games.
A. The MLB Wild Card is done through a best-of-three series.
A. The Washington Nationals was the last wild-card team to win the World Series in 2019.
