The National League's geographical alignment was rather peculiar as its partitioning was really more north and south instead of east and west.
This was due to the demands of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created East division.
During the two-division era, from 1969 to 1993, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates together owned more than half of the division titles, having won a combined 15 of 25 championships during that span.
However, the Braves, wanting to form a natural rivalry with the expansion Florida Marlins, elected to be placed in the East.
§ – Due to the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike starting August 12, no official winner was awarded.
Those teams faced each other in the Wild Card Game to determine the final participant in the National League Division Series.