MLB: The NL all-time bracket, bottom half edition

A final eight NL teams try to earn one remaining spot in the final 4 of the MLB all-time bracket challenge. the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers have the top seed.

The bottom half of the all-time National League bracket features eight-division franchise champions. Chronologically they span virtually the breadth of MLB history, from the 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates to the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers.

As is the case with other areas of the final 30-team bracket, winning a World Series wasn’t necessarily a key to success. In fact, this portion of the NL bracket includes only three world champions: the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals, the 1969 New York Mets, and the 1997 Florida Marlins.

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As representatives of the second most successful franchise in NL history, the 1953 Brooklyn  Dodgers are the top-seeded team in this portion of the bracket. They are pitted in the first round against the 1998 San Diego Padres.

The other first-round matchups will send the 1998 Braves against the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers, the 1942 Cardinals against the 1997 Marlins, and the 1902 Pirates against the 1969 Mets.

The survivor from this part of the bracket advances to the all-time final four, where it will face the 1907 Chicago Cubs, survivors of the upper half of the bracket. The two American League representatives advancing to that final four are the 1927 New York Yankees and 2001 Seattle Mariners.

If you missed any of the franchise bracket challenges or want to re-visit the process of selecting the best from your favorite franchise, don’t worry. Each team’s introductory material will include a link to their franchise qualifier.

The format is identical to previous bracket challenges.

Each matchup in the tournament is decided based on seven criteria. You can think of each as a ‘game,’ the winner of four games advancing. The seven criteria are:

1. Game 1: Regular season winning percentage.
2. Game 2: Post-season winning percentage
3. Game 3: Team OPS+
4. Game 4: Team ERA+
5. Game 5 (if necessary): Team WAR
6. Game 6 (if necessary: Fielding percentage above the league average for the season in question.
7. Game 7 (if necessary): The standard for Game 7 is Hall of Famers or, in the case of contemporary teams, likely future Hall of Famers.