The National League (NL) is one of the two baseball leagues, in the United States alongside the American League (AL). Established in 1876 the National League holds the distinction of being the older of the two leagues. Teams within the National League are categorized into three divisions; East, Central, and West.
A notable contrast between the American League and the National League lies in their approach to designated hitters (DH). While teams in the American League have the option to use a designated hitter for pitchers during batting traditionally such practice was not adopted in the National League with pitchers taking their turn at bat. However, discussions and trials regarding this rule have sparked debate within Major League Baseball.
Throughout a season that typically runs from April to early October teams from various divisions compete for top records. The divisional champions and two Wild Card teams proceed to vie for victory in postseason playoffs. The climax of these playoffs is reached at the National League Championship Series where triumph earns a team both the National League Pennant and a chance to challenge the American League champion, in a World Series showdown.
Some of the known teams, in the National League’s history are the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. These teams have achieved success, in both the season. Winning World Series titles.
