Format The NLDS is a best-of-five series where the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season hosts the winner of the Wild Card Series between the top two wild card teams in one matchup, and the divisional winner with the second best winning percentage hosts the winner of the other Wild Card Series between the lowest-seeded divisional winner and the lowest-seeded wild card team. (From 2012 to 2021, the wild card team was assigned to play the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season in one series, and the other two division winners met in the other series. From 1998 to 2011, if the wild-card team and the division winner with the best record were from the same division, the wild-card team played the division winner with the second-best record, and the remaining two division leaders played each other.) The two series winners move on to the best-of-seven NLCS. According to Nate Silver, the advent of this playoff series, and especially of the wild card, has caused teams to focus more on "getting to the playoffs" rather than "winning the pennant" as the primary goal of the regular season.Nate Silver, "Selig's Dream: The Wild Card as Enabler of Pennant Races," in Steven Goldman, Ed., It Ain't Over 'til It's Over (New York: Basic Books): 170-178.
format the nlds is a best-of-five series where the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season hosts the winner of the wild card series between the top two wild card teams in one matchup and the divisional winner with the second best winning percentage hosts the winner of the other wild card series between the lowest-seeded divisional winner and the lowest-seeded wild card team (from 2012 to 2021 the wild card team was assigned to play the divisional winner with the best winning percentage in the regular season in one series and the other two division winners met in the other series from 1998 to 2011 if the wild-card team and the division winner with the best record were from the same division the wild-card team played the division winner with the second-best record and the remaining two division leaders played each other) the two series winners move on to the best-of-seven nlcs according to nate silver the advent of this playoff series and especially of the wild card has caused teams to focus more on "getting to the playoffs" rather than "winning the pennant" as the primary goal of the regular seasonnate silver "selig's dream the wild card as enabler of pennant races" in steven goldman ed it ain't over 'til it's over (new york basic books) 170-178