National League Central - Wild-card Winners

Wild-card Winners

Further information: List of National League Wild Card winners

The wild card was first introduced in 1994 and is the team in each league with the best record that did not win its division. The system, however, was not implemented until 1995, as a player strike prematurely ended the 1994 season. Since its implementation, five NL Central teams have won the wild card.

Year	Winner	Record	%	GB	Playoffs
1998	Chicago Cubs*	90–73	.552	12.5	Lost NLDS to Atlanta, 3–0
2001	St. Louis Cardinals†	93–69	.574	0	Lost NLDS to Arizona, 3–2
2004	Houston Astros	92–70	.568	13	Lost NLCS to St. Louis, 4–3
2005	Houston Astros	89–73	.549	11	Lost World Series to Chicago White Sox, 4–0
2008	Milwaukee Brewers	90–72	.556	7.5	Lost NLDS to Philadelphia, 3–1
2011	St. Louis Cardinals	90–72	.556	6	Won World Series over Texas, 4–3
2012	St. Louis Cardinals**	88–74	.543	9	Lost NLCS to San Francisco, 4–3

* - Defeated the San Francisco Giants in a one game playoff for the Wild Card, 5-3.

† - finished with the same record as the Houston Astros, but Houston won the season series vs. the Cardinals that year, and were given the higher seed in the playoffs.

** – Starting with the 2012 season, there will be two Wild Card winners in each league. The qualifiers will play a single-game playoff to determine who will face the top-seeded team in the National League Division Series.