This time one year ago, the notion that three of the National League’s playoffs teams would have come from the Central was farfetched, and yet, by the time the post-season began, the division champion Milwaukee Brewers were joined by the Wild Card entrants Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.
The NL Central featured several 2025 award winners including Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates (Cy Young) and the Milwaukee Brewers duo of Pat Murphy (Manager of the Year) and Matt Arnold (Executive of the Year).
In addition, the Chicago Cubs won the team Gold Glove Award.
Coming into the 2026 season, the Central looks be just as competitive as it was in 2025, and although the Cardinals finally embraced a re-build, the Pirates actually spent money on free agents. Here’s a preview of the division.
Milwaukee Brewers
2025 record: 97-65, 1st (Division Champs)
It was a third consecutive NL Central title for the Brewers in 2025, winning 97 games along the way. The team’s high impact position players return in 2026, led by catcher William Contreras, outfielder Jackson Chourio, infielder Brice Turang and designated hitter Christian Yelich. They also have one of the top prospects in the game, Jesus Made, who will turn 19 in May and could force his way to Milwaukee before the year ends. Jett Williams, the top infield prospect picked up from the New York Mets in an off-season trade, may also impact the big league team this season.
The starting rotation lost Freddy Peralta, who the team dealt to the Mets for Williams and pitcher Brandon Sproat, which will impact the rotation but jettisoning a pitcher who is headed for free agency is a common strategy used by the team’s front office, and thus one they were prepared to accommodate.
Starter Brandon Woodruff signed his qualifying offer, somewhat surprisingly, but his return gives the team’s rotation a veteran presence that also includes Chad Patrick, Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison and Aaron Ashby – at least to start the season. Quinn Priester will begin the season on the IL and prospects Sproat, Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser could all factor into the rotation sooner than later.
The bullpen’s top arms, Trevor Megill – who saved 30 games for the team last season – and Abner Uribe, who may take over as the team’s primary closer, are supplemented by returning relievers DL Hall, Rob Zastryzny and Grant Anderson.
Questions in their rotation notwithstanding – and the loss of Peralta is no small one – the Brewers are still the team to beat in the Central, with Pat Murphy’s squad of position players all under 30 (outside of Yelich) and prospects knocking on the door. Andrew Vaughn, who had a career renaissance after joining the team mid-season, has to prove his 64 outstanding games as a Brewer wasn’t a fluke.
The Brewers have been one of the best-run small market clubs for the last decade. They’ve finished worst than 2nd in their division only once (4th in 2020, but still made the playoffs) and only twice missed playing in the postseason during this run.
Can the Brew Crew make it four-in-a-row in 2026 with another division crown? It’s tough to bet against them.
Chicago Cubs
2025 record: 92-70, 2nd (Wild Card)
The Cubs enjoyed a 90+ win season in 2025 – manager Craig Counsell’s second season at the helm. Winners of the team Gold Glove, the team’s core position players return – minus the departed free agent Kyle Tucker – and with the addition of Alex Bregman to play third base. First baseman Micheal Busch paced the team with 34 home runs while infielders Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson provided excellent defense with above average offense while both also stealing 20-or-more bases. Carson Kelly had a career-best season behind the plate with the Cubs in his 10th big league season.
Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong had a 30/30 season and was electric in the first-half of the season, his second full-time year in the big leagues. Seiya Suzuki posted another above-average season with an MLB-career best 32 home runs. Ian Happ rounds out the outfield with another 20+ home run bat.
The team’s starting rotation will be without Justin Steele for most of the first half of the season, but 2025 All-Star Matthew Boyd and 2024 All-Star Shota Imanaga will be joined by new addition Edward Cabrera and veteran Jameson Taillon in a rotation that includes 2025 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton. Collin Rea, who made 27 starts for the Cubs last season, may find himself in the bullpen.
Closer Daniel Palencia is coming off of a dominate showing in the World Baseball Classic where he picked up the save in Venezuela’s championship winning game against the United States. Behind him will be some new names after the team lost Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller to free agency and Ryan Pressly to retirement. Caleb Thielbar does return and will be joined by newcomers Hoby Milner, Hunter Harvey, Phil Maton and Jacob Webb.
The Cubs should compete for a Wild Card while battling the Brewers for the top spot in the division.
Cincinnati Reds
2025 record: 83-79, 3rd (Wild Card)
When the New York Mets collapsed down the stretch in 2025, the Reds were able to claim a Wild Card birth. The Reds may be hard-pressed to repeat last season’s winning season with staff anchor Hunter Greene out until July after having chips removed from his elbow.
The team’s starting rotation does return the excellent Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo, but after Nick Martinez left during free agency, the team will look to fill out their rotation with a handful of pitchers – including one of their top prospects, Rhett Lowder
Emilio Pagan returns as closer with top set-up man Tony Santillan. New addition Pierce Johnson should help fortify their depth along with Graham Ashcroft, but the back-end of their bullpen has more questions than answers heading into the season.
Eugenio Suárez returns to the team he spent seven seasons with earlier in his career as the team’s designated hitter. He also add a veteran leader and power bat to a position player group under-performed in 2025. Shortstop Elly De La Cruz played in all 162 games, but struggled in the season’s second half. The team will be counting on top prospect Sal Stewart after a strong September showing as the team’s first baseman. After missing the 2024 season, Matt McClain struggled last year, and his ability to return to the offensive output similar to what he produced during his rookie campaign in 2023 would be a boon to the team’s lineup.
The team return their veteran catchers while their outfield will include Noelvi Marté Spencer Steer, who both spent much of last season on the infield.
If everything goes right for the Reds, the could stay in the Wild Card race into September, but they aren’t a sure thing to repeat their winning record from 2025.
St. Louis Cardinals
2025 record: 78-84, 4th
Finally, the Cardinals have embraced the rebuild. Gone are starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas as well as first baseman Willson Contreras, second baseman Brandon Donovan and third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The team will start the season without outfielder Lars Nootbaar who is recovering from heel surgery. The team will need former top outfield prospect Jordan Walker to rebound from a disappointing 2025 and the infield will need to see Masyn Winn take a step forward offensively and hope his new double-play partner, top prospect JJ Wetherholt, can contend for NL Rookie of the Year. Nolan Gorman will get a chance to stick at third base while Alec Burleson – who posted the best offensive numbers of any returning player – can build on a strong 2025.
The team’s starting rotation will be led by Matthew Liberatore but the Cardinals rotation depth will be banking on a the buy-low Dustin May and Kyle Leahy, who will work out of the rotation after making 61 relief appearances last year. The bullpen returns presumptive closer JoJo Romero but has more questions that the rotation.
St. Louis will be in for a rough 2026 season and could threaten to fall below the 71-win mark the team posted in 2023 – the lowest win total in a 162-game season since 1990.
Pittsburgh Pirates
2025 record: 71-91, 5th
Could this be the year the Pirates finally return to the post-season?
After years of ownership failing invest in the major league team via free agency, Pittsburgh added outfielder Ryan O’Hearn on what is the largest position-player free agent contract in the organization’s history. They also added designated hitter Marcell Ozuna late in the off-season and hope he can provide a higher ceiling offensively that the departed franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. The team also swung a trade for veteran infielder Brandon Lowe, who will likley slot into second base, but has the positional versatility to move around the diamond, if needed.
The Pirates also have to top prospect in baseball in shortstop Konnor Griffin who is fighting for a spot on the big league roster despite only playing 21 games at Double-A last season. The outfield returns Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, both of whom had disappointing 2025 seasons, as well a first baseman Spencer Horwitz. The team’s catching duo of Joey Bart and Henry Davis are both still searching for a break-out season to match their once top-prospect billings.
The team added Gregory Soto to the team’s bullpen behind Dennis Santana but the rest of the team’s relievers are nondescript.
The starting rotation is where the Pirates shine with reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes as the team’s ace. Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcroft solidify the top four spots in the rotation with Jose Urquidy – who has pitched in only two big league games since 2023 – a possibility for the fifth starter’s spot.
The Pirates raised their floor offensively for 2026 and while it likely wasn’t enough to put them in position to challenge for the division title, barring injury, the team should be in the hunt for a Wild Card spot deep into September.
2026 NL Central Division Prediction
Milwaukee Brewers (Division Champions)
Chicago Cubs (Wild Card)
Pittsburgh Pirates (Wild Card)
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
