June 15, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Ryan Dempster delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Wrigley Field. Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

Former Cubs Pitcher Makes Bold Statement on Chicago's NL Central Rival

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Kyle Morton | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs are having somewhat of a dream season.

At 59-40 they own the best record in the entire National League. Right fielder Kyle Tucker has fit in with his new team splendidly, and his outfield mate Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field looks like a burgeoning perennial National League MVP candidate.

Just over a month ago on June 17, all of that was true, and the Cubs had just put the finishing touches on a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers to push their lead in the NL Central to 6.5 games over their neighbors to the North.

But even in this near-perfect year, the Brewers just won't go away.

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Milwaukee has rattled off 10 straight wins, and though the Chicago has really not taken its foot off the gas, the Brewers have forced a tie atop not only the division, but the NL as a whole.

They're now unquestionably the hottest team in baseball, and they've made a division race that looked destined to be a runaway into perhaps the most intriguing one in the league.

Milwaukee has captured just about everyone's attention, and that includes former Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster, who shared a bold take on the Brewers' prognosis on MLB Network's show "Intentional Talk."

"The Brewers' ceiling is going to the World Series."@Dempster46 thinks Milwaukee's pitching staff is strong enough to carry them to the Fall Classic.@SieraSantos | @KMillar15 pic.twitter.com/L8V4Fe8qG5
— Intentional Talk (@IntentionalTalk) July 21, 2025

"I think the ceiling is high," Dempster said. "The Brewers' ceiling is going to the World Series... When youu look at this team and you look at this pitching staff... Freddy Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester and now Brandon Woodruff is back and healthy. These dudes are all nasty... and then offensively, they just grind you, man."

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Dempster's point is well made, and it represents the one area of concern Cubs fans should have in this race.

The Brewers are 7th in MLB in team ERA compared to Chicago's placement of 11th, and Milwaukee is significantly more capable at inducing strikeouts than their foes from the Windy City.

Both teams have been excellent on the mound as of late, though, and Chicago has a clear edge when it comes to the two teams' lineups.

The Cubs and Brewers are No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in team ERA since the calendar flipped to June, but Chicago would likely need to bolster its pitching staff at the July 31 trade deadline for that to feel sustainable.

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The Cubs own a 3-2 lead in the season series to this point, but a pivotal series in Wisconsin looms set for the three days leading up to the deadline.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.

This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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