Inside the NL Central, MLB's best division: Where each team excels, struggles at season's quarter mark

The Cincinnati Reds, last in the NL Central entering Wednesday, have a better record than all but three American League teams. 

Through the first quarter of the 2026 MLB season, no division has been better, with all five NL Central teams showing at some point why they can make the playoffs.

Below, we take a closer look at the best division in baseball and determine what we like and dislike about the five teams.

1. Chicago Cubs (27-16)

What we like: Outfield
What we dislike: Starting pitching depth

Each Cubs outfielder fills his role well. Ian Happ, batting cleanup for the majority of the season, has a team-high nine home runs. Seiya Suzuki has a team-high .918 OPS, while Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has been the most limited at the plate, has blossomed into the majors' best defensive centerfielder. Veteran Michael Conforto has been excellent as a spot starter and in-game replacement. In 24 games (13 starts), Conforto is slashing .344/.448/.617. Only Washington Nationals infielder Jose Tena has more pinch hits.

Chicago doesn't have nearly the same depth in its pitching staff, which experiences a significant drop-off from ace Shota Imanaga. Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon and Colin Rea have combined to go 9-5 with a 4.16 earned run average. The fifth starter role is currently unaccounted for with Matthew Boyd on the injured list after undoing knee surgery. He has a 6.00 ERA in five starts.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (23-17)

What we like: Plate discipline
What we dislike: Left infield

The Brewers make up for a lack of power — they've hit an MLB-low 27 home runs — by forcing pitchers to work when on the mound. Milwaukee batters have seen 3-1 counts at a league-high rate of 10.9 percent, per Baseball Reference, which also shows they see 3.97 pitches per plate appearance, the most among NL teams.

According to Baseball Savant data, Milwaukee has a below-average 25.7 chase rate and above-average contact rate (59.7 percent) when swinging on pitches outside of the zone. The Brewers don't swing at bad pitches often, but when they do, they make more out of the opportunities than most.

As much as the Brewers excel at maximizing their plate appearances, they have a massive weakness at third and shortstop. Luis Rengifo and Joey Ortiz have received the bulk of the at-bats and both are hitting sub-.200 with one home run and 34 strikeouts combined.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (24-17)

What we like: Right fielder Jordan Walker's breakout
What we dislike: Pitchers playing tee-ball

Walker, a 2020 first-round pick out of high school, has been one of the year's best stories, breaking out in a big way after a rough stretch from 2024-25. Over the past two seasons, Walker, who debuted in 2023, slashed .211/.270/.324 with 176 strikeouts, 39 walks and 11 home runs in 162 games. He's done a 180-degree turn this season, producing a .298/.378/.570 slash line in 40 games with 11 home runs. His strikeout rate (27.9 percent) is still high, but for someone who's displaying elite power-hitting traits, that's a fair trade.

As hard as Walker's been hitting the ball, Cardinals opponents have been squaring up against St. Louis pitchers, who have allowed the NL's highest hard-hit rate (44.4 percent), just as often. As with the Cubs, beyond ace Michael McGreevy, the Cards' starting rotation depth is suspect, with no other pitcher having a sub-4.00 ERA.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates (23-20)

What we like: Paul Skenes getting run support
What we dislike: Middle relief

It's hard to feel bad for Skenes, who in recent years has won an NCAA title, been selected No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft, started an All-Star Game and received his first Cy Young Award, but the Pirates made it possible last year by only giving him an average of 3.41 runs in support of his 32 starts. That's changed this season, with the Pirates averaging 6.59 runs in games Skenes has started. 

The two-time All-Star put a disastrous Opening Day start against the New York Mets behind him, allowing just three earned runs over his last five starts, and looks poised to earn back-to-back Cy Young honors. But unlike last year, Skenes isn't doing it all by himself.

Pirates closer Gregory Soto has been great this season, posting a 1.69 ERA in 21 games, but getting to him has been an issue. Overall, Pittsburgh relievers have a 4.17 ERA, per FanGraphs, while allowing 35 percent of their inherited runners to score. (League average is 30 percent.)

5. Cincinnati Reds (22-21)

What we like: Shortstop Elly De La Cruz
What we dislike: Situational hitting

De La Cruz has been one of the league's more exciting young players since debuting in 2023, but his power numbers are even stronger this year. The two-time All-Star has 10 home runs In 43 games (his career-high is 25 home runs in 2024) while hitting .295, providing a stable presence for an otherwise lackluster offense.

Cincinnati has an MLB-low .220 team batting average, with the struggles most pronounced with runners on base. Per Baseball Reference, Reds batters have advanced runners on second with no out at a 35.9 percent rate, the lowest in the league. Runners on third with less than two outs have only scored 44.2 percent of the time, the league's second-lowest rate.