[jg2977]

BOB COSTAS:
When you look at the 1936 National League, it’s immediately clear that we are in the midst of a historic, almost unprecedented season—and the numbers bear that out. Let’s start with the West Division, where history has been made.
San Francisco Giants, 125–37. That’s not a misprint. That’s one hundred and twenty-five wins, a new National League record, surpassing the 1922 Mets’ 122-win mark. To win .772 of your games in a modern schedule is extraordinary, a testament to consistency, depth, and dominance. The Giants are the defending World Series champions and are coming off last season’s triumph with no intention of relinquishing the crown. Everything about this club—from pitching to bullpen management to a lineup that can punish mistakes at every turn—screams “repeat contender.”
Behind them in the West, the Colorado Rockies at 92–70 are a strong ball club, but there’s a nearly 33-game gap. The Rockies will be fighting to survive in the postseason, but the Giants’ regular-season mastery makes them heavy favorites.

Turning to the Central Division, the St. Louis Cardinals have reaffirmed their status as perennial contenders, finishing 109–53, the clear #2 seed. St. Louis has the pedigree, the postseason experience, and the roster balance to challenge for a rematch against San Francisco in the NLCS. The Pirates sneak into the Wild Card at 87–75, but the Cardinals are clearly the team to beat in the Central.
And yet, the rest of the division is weaker. The Cubs, at 67–95, have now failed to break 70 wins for nine consecutive seasons. It’s a franchise in a prolonged slump, a cautionary tale about rebuilding—or failing to rebuild—in a league where the top is relentless.

In the East Division, the Washington Nationals top the division at 88–74, a solid record but one that highlights just how top-heavy the NL has become. They are the only team in the East over .500 by a meaningful margin, and yet, by historical standards, this is a mediocre record for a division winner. The Nationals will carry a chip on their shoulder, eager to avenge prior playoff exits. The Miami Marlins, 83–79, have made a feisty return to the postseason, while the Mets’ 74–88 finish mirrors the woes of New York’s other major-league franchise, the Yankees, albeit on the National League side.

As we consider the Wild Card matchups:
Pittsburgh visits Colorado. The Pirates are back in the playoffs for the first time since 1930. The Rockies, in their first postseason since 1923, offer an intriguing contrast of new energy versus historical hunger.
Miami visits Washington. The Marlins’ 83 wins may not seem dominant, but this is a scrappy team, a side that could disrupt expectations in a short series.

And then there’s the tail of the league, where the Dodgers (60–102) and Diamondbacks (56–106) are in clear tanking territory. Their struggles underscore the extreme gap between the league’s top and bottom this season—a stark reminder that baseball’s competitive balance is not evenly distributed, even in a 1936 world with modern-style scheduling.

In summary:
The 1936 National League is defined by record-breaking dominance at the top, particularly from San Francisco, with a clear hierarchy forming behind them. St. Louis and Washington are formidable, playoff-ready squads, while Miami and Pittsburgh inject drama and unpredictability. The rest? Well, they are trying to survive.
In a sense, this season is baseball distilled: historic excellence, postseason storylines, and the cruel arithmetic of wins and losses that separate champions from pretenders. And as always, when the Giants take the field in October, you can bet the National League is about to witness a masterclass in dominance.