You’re sitting on the couch, the October air is finally getting crisp, and the tension in the stadium is so thick you could cut it with a discarded rally towel. Then it hits you. Or maybe your friend asks. How many games in the NLDS are we actually watching here?
If you're coming from the NBA or NHL world, you might be expecting a long, drawn-out seven-game saga. Baseball does that eventually, but not yet. The National League Division Series is a sprint, not a marathon.
The Short Answer: It’s a Best-of-Five
Basically, the NLDS is a best-of-five series. First team to three wins moves on to the NLCS. Simple, right?
Well, kinda.
The format is a 2-2-1 structure. The higher seed—the team that actually earned the right to sleep in their own beds a little longer—hosts Games 1 and 2. Then the circus moves to the lower seed's city for Game 3 and, if nobody has pulled off a sweep yet, Game 4. If the series is tied at two games apiece, everyone flies back to the higher seed's home turf for a winner-take-all Game 5.
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Honestly, Game 5 in a division series is some of the most stressful television you will ever watch. There’s no "we'll get 'em in Game 6" safety net. It’s over. You win or you go home and start looking at golf course tee times.
Why Five Games Instead of Seven?
You've probably wondered why MLB doesn't just make everything seven games. More games equals more ticket sales and more ad revenue, right?
The reality is about the calendar. Baseball already has the longest regular season in professional sports. 162 games is a massive grind. If you made the Division Series seven games, the World Series wouldn't end until the middle of November. Nobody wants to see a Game 7 played in a blizzard in Chicago or New York.
Plus, the five-game format creates a specific kind of chaos. In a seven-game series, the better team usually wins because the "luck" of a single bad bounce or a blown call gets smoothed out over a week. In a five-game series? One bad inning from your ace pitcher can effectively end your season. It gives the underdogs—those gritty Wild Card teams—a much better shot at an upset.
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A Quick History Lesson (Because it Wasn't Always Like This)
Believe it or not, the NLDS didn't even exist for most of baseball history. Before 1969, the team with the best record just went straight to the World Series. Then we had the League Championship Series (LCS).
The Division Series as we know it didn't become a permanent fixture until 1995. There was a weird one-off version in 1981 because of a mid-season strike, but the modern era started in the mid-90s.
Initially, they experimented with a 2-3 format. In that version, the lower seed actually hosted the first two games, and the higher seed hosted the final three. Fans hated it. It felt like the "better" team was being punished by starting the playoffs on the road. MLB realized the mistake and switched to the 2-2-1 setup in 1998, which has stuck ever since.
The "Bye Week" Drama
Since the playoff expansion in 2022, the top two division winners get a first-round bye. While the Wild Card teams are burning through their best pitchers just to survive a three-game series, the top seeds are resting.
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Does this help? That's the million-dollar question.
In recent years, we've seen heavy hitters like the Dodgers and Braves come off that week of rest and look... well, rusty. They face a Wild Card winner who is already in "playoff mode," battle-tested and full of momentum. This has led to some massive upsets in the NLDS. It’s proof that in a short five-game window, being the "better" team on paper doesn't guarantee you a spot in the next round.
Key Rules You Should Know
- No Ghost Runner: In the regular season, you get a runner on second base in extra innings to speed things up. In the NLDS? Forget it. They play traditional baseball until someone actually wins.
- Roster Size: Teams carry a 26-man roster for the series. Managers often carry fewer starting pitchers and more specialized relievers because of the off-days built into the schedule.
- The Replay Factor: Managers get two challenges per game instead of the usual one. Because every game in a short series is so vital, they don't want a missed tag at second base to be the reason a 100-win team gets eliminated.
What to Watch For
If you’re betting or just following along, keep a close eye on Game 3. In a 1-1 series tie, the winner of Game 3 historically goes on to win the series a vast majority of the time. It’s the ultimate "pivot" game.
Also, pay attention to how managers use their "Ace." In a best-of-five, you can usually only get your best pitcher on the mound for Game 1 and Game 5. If a manager gets aggressive and brings their Ace back for Game 4 on short rest, they are basically gambling the entire season on that single move.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
- Don't panic if your team loses Game 1. In a 2-2-1 format, the home team losing the opener is a gut punch, but it happens frequently.
- Check the bullpen depth. Since there are frequent off-days (usually after Game 2 and Game 4), top-tier closers can often pitch in four out of the five games.
- Appreciate the urgency. Every single pitch in the NLDS carries more weight than fifty pitches in July.
The NLDS is the gateway to the "real" playoffs for many fans. It’s fast, it’s unpredictable, and it’s over before you know it. Make sure you're tuned in by Game 1, because if you wait until the weekend to start watching, your favorite team might already be packing their bags.