Cubs Know Holding off Brewers in NL Central Will Be Huge Challenge

The Chicago Cubs have been one of the best offensive teams in baseball. But that’s only afforded them a small divisional lead.

The Cubs did not become the first team to hit 60 wins on Sunday after falling to the Boston Red Sox. But Chicago came out of the break winning two out of three games and maintaining their slim lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central Division race.

As good as Chicago has been — with 59 wins through Sunday’s loss — the Brewers are right on the Cubs’ tail. In fact, with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, the Brewers would have as many wins as the Cubs.

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President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer knows the trade deadline is critical to fending off the Brewers.

“They’re a really good team," Hoyer said to reporters earlier this week. “I don’t think they’re going to go away.’’

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale included that quote in his Sunday notebook, while also noting that he believes the Cubs will be one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline.

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While the Cubs won the 2016 World Series title and the Brewers haven’t been to the Fall Classic since 1982, the Brewers have had more success than the Cubs of late.

Since ending the “Curse of the Billy Goat,” Chicago has won the NL Central title twice, in 2017 and 2020. They also earned an NL wild card berth in 2018.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee won the NL Central in 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The Brewers also claimed NL wild card berths in 2019 and 2020.

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That success is part of the reason why the Cubs lured Craig Counsell to manage the franchise last year. Counsell, a Wisconsin native, led the Brewers as manager from 2015-23 and won 707 games with the franchise. Milwaukee went to the NL Championship Series in 2018, where it lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs reached the NLCS in 2017 but lost in their bid to repeat as World Champions. Their last two playoff appearances have ended in the wild card round, and they are a combined 0-3 in those two appearances.

If the Cubs are going to change that — and hold off the Brewers in the process — they need reinforcements at the trade deadline.

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