The NLDS (National League Division Series) is a best-of-five series, meaning the first team to win 3 games advances.

NLDS basic format

  • The NLDS is part of MLB’s postseason and decides which National League teams move on to the NL Championship Series.
  • “Best of five” means the series can last anywhere from 3 to 5 games, but as soon as one team reaches 3 wins, the series is over.

How the games are scheduled

  • The series uses a 2–2–1 home-field format: the higher seed hosts Games 1 and 2, the lower seed hosts Game 3 and, if needed, Game 4, and the higher seed hosts a decisive Game 5 if necessary.
  • Because it is shorter than a best-of-seven, each individual game has a bigger impact, which is why there are frequent debates about whether it should also be best-of-seven.

TL;DR: The NLDS is best of 5 games, so first to 3 wins moves on.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.