What Is 2000 National League Division Series

Overview

The 2000 National League Division Series (NLDS) marked the opening round of Major League Baseball’s postseason in the National League. It featured two best-of-five series that determined which teams would advance to the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

As part of MLB’s playoff format since 1995, the NLDS pits division winners and wild card teams against each other. In 2000, the matchups included the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets against the San Francisco Giants.

• St. Louis Cardinals defeated Atlanta Braves 3–0 in a clean sweep, winning all three games decisively between October 3 and October 6.
• New York Mets beat San Francisco Giants 3–1, overcoming a Game 1 loss to win the next three games and advance.
• Game lengths averaged 3 hours and 12 minutes, reflecting high-scoring, tightly contested matchups.
• Mike Hampton of the Mets delivered a standout performance, throwing eight shutout innings in Game 4 to clinch the series.
• Turner Field in Atlanta hosted the NLDS games between the Braves and Cardinals, drawing over 42,000 fans per game.

How It Works

The NLDS format determines which National League teams advance to the Championship Series through a best-of-five structure. Teams are seeded based on regular season records, with division winners and the wild card qualifier participating.

• Best-of-Five Series: Each NLDS matchup consists of up to five games, with the first team to win three advancing. This format increases competitive balance while shortening the postseason timeline.
• Home-Field Advantage: The team with the better regular-season record hosts Games 1, 2, and 5. In 2000, Atlanta and San Francisco held this advantage at home.
• Division Winners and Wild Card: The three division champions and one wild card team qualify. In 2000, the Mets entered as the wild card despite a 91–71 record.
• Seeding and Matchups: The team with the best record faces the wild card unless they’re in the same division. In 2000, the Braves (95–67) played the Cardinals (95–67), with St. Louis winning the tiebreaker.
• Player Rosters: Teams submit expanded rosters for the postseason, allowing strategic depth. The 2000 Mets utilized key bullpen arms like Armando Benítez effectively.
• Umpire Crews: MLB assigns rotating crews; in 2000, a six-umpire system was used across all NLDS games to ensure accuracy.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the two 2000 NLDS matchups:

The table highlights how the Giants had the best record in the National League at 97–65, yet were eliminated by the wild card Mets. This outcome underscored the unpredictable nature of short playoff series, where momentum and pitching dominate over regular-season performance.

Why It Matters

The 2000 NLDS played a pivotal role in shaping one of the most memorable postseasons in recent memory, ultimately leading to a Mets–Cardinals NLCS showdown. Its outcomes demonstrated how even dominant regular-season teams can falter in short series.

• Wild card viability was proven as the Mets advanced deep into the postseason, challenging perceptions of underdog status.
• Barry Bonds’ performance drew national attention, with his .304 batting average and 3 HRs in the series.
• St. Louis’ sweep of Atlanta marked the Braves’ first playoff elimination since 1993, ending a streak of dominance.
• Mike Hampton became a postseason hero, winning two games and posting a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings.
• Attendance averaged 47,000 per game across all NLDS sites, reflecting strong fan engagement and playoff excitement.
• The series set the stage for the 2000 NLCS, where the Mets defeated the Cardinals 4–1 en route to the World Series.

The 2000 NLDS remains a benchmark for upsets and dramatic performances, illustrating how playoff baseball can redefine legacies in just a few games.