Deadly Accurate: NL Central

The National League Central in a state of flux, given the cross-league emigration of two of the game’s biggest sluggers, and facing the eventual exile of one of the division’s six teams to the A.L. The Astros have new names signing the paychecks and fresh faces in the front office, the Cardinals are dealing with the departure of baseball’s longest-tenured manager in addition to their franchise icon, and the Brewers are watching their league MVP plead his case against a possible PED suspension. Astros Bud Norris has quietly established himself as a force near the top of the Houston rotation, and his strong K rates bode well for an American League transition that rests on his horizon. Norris displayed considerable growth in 2011, and exceeded PECOTA’s expectations in every category aside from homers allowed and the context-dependent W. The right-hander’s biggest gains came on the command side of the ledger, where he shaved a full walk off of his nine-...