NL Central Standings Update: Cubs, Reds, Brewers sizzling while Pirates sinking |
The 2023 regular season is almost halfway done, and what an exciting start to the year it has been. Baseball has undergone some rule changes to speed up the game and increase action, but there has been no shortage of storylines in the league and the NL Central this season.
Vegas picked the Cardinals as the favorite to win a division featuring a lot of roster movement over winter and Spring. We are near the end of June in the MLB season, and the NL Central is getting very interesting. In just the last two weeks, three separate teams have held possession of first place — and we at CUBSHQ are here to break down the action of the NL Central periodically as the season progresses. Here is our eighth NL Central Update of the year:
Like last season, the Brewers were constructed to prevent runs, not score them. The Brewers are boosted by an excellent pitching staff of Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, and Corbin Burnes — a three-headed monster that stacks up against anybody in the National League. But just like last season, the Brewers have faced some injuries lately in the pitching staff. Despite not having a potent offensive attack, the Brewers have been able to string together some nice wins in the early going. Offensively, Milwaukee has been led by Rowdy Tellez and Willy Adames, similar to last season. Brian Anderson and former Brave catcher William Contreras have been welcome additions thus far. Since we last updated, the Brewers dropped two of three from the Diamondbacks and took two of three from the Cleveland Guardians on the road. UP NEXT: This week, the Brewers are in New York for four games with the Mets and then head to Pittsburgh for three with the Pirates.
The Reds were once again expected to be one of the worst teams in the MLB early on, entirely in another rebuild. Joey Votto is the only recognizable name on a team with players like Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Nicholas Castellanos, Jesse Winker, and Eugenio Suarez. The Reds' claim to fame has been flame-thrower Hunter Greene, who is developing into a young ace in baseball. However, the last month has been a different story for Cincy. Elly De La Cruz has burst onto the scene and turned heads, and players like rookie Matt McLain and TJ Friedl have stepped up offensively. The Reds rattled off 12 consecutive victories to soar into first place. Since we last updated, the Reds swept the Rockies and dropped two of three to the NL-leading Atlanta Braves. UP NEXT: This week, the Reds travel to Baltimore for three with the Orioles and then head home for a three-game series with the San Diego Padres.
The Cubs finished in third place in the NL Central last year and made it a point of focus over the offseason to make drastic improvements to the team — which also fit baseball's new rules. The Cubs may have let Willson Contreras go, but they committed to long-term contract extensions with Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ, both of whom enjoyed breakout campaigns in 2022. Plus, the Cubs acquired Trey Mancini, Eric Hosmer, Cody Bellinger, Tucker Barnhart, Jameson Taillon, Brad Boxberger, and Michael Fulmer over the offseason to improve the team — plus the big ticket item of Dansby Swanson to be the team’s starting shortstop for the next seven years. In the early going, the moves looked like they had paid off. But since it has been rocky waters. The Cubs are still near the lead in the National League in runs per game and are top five in the MLB in both batting average and starters ERA. However, the lack of bullpen struggles and the bottom half of the lineup has turned the Cubs fans from excitement to panic. The Cubs have even looked to Iowa for some reinforcements as the season comes into swing, like Christopher Morel, who has been a nice boost to the struggling squad. The starting pitching has been money, and the offense is beginning to follow suit. The Cubs had some injuries, but as they've gotten healthy — they've gotten hot. Since we last updated, the Cubs swept the Pirates and split two games in London with the Cardinals. UP NEXT: This week, the Cubs head back to Wrigley, host the Phillies for three, and then host the Guardians over the weekend.Milwaukee Brewers 41-37
Cincinnati Reds 41-37 (0.5 games back)
Chicago Cubs 37-39 (3.0 games back)
Pittsburgh Pirates 35-42 (5.5 games back)
The Pirates were widely expected to finish last in this division throughout the last few years, but their progress over the years does not pencil them in as a bottom feeder in this division. Their strong start to the 2023 season had them in first place through almost a month of baseball.
Bryan Reynolds is leading things for the Pirates with eight home runs and 40 RBI already, with a stellar .277 batting average. Jack Suwinski's 19 home runs led all rookies last year, and he has 15 dingers on the season thus far. Andrew McCutchen has also seen some success in his return to Pittsburgh and has been a strong producer in the lineup. O'Neil Cruz was expected by many to take a giant leap this season, but he is on the injured list.
Mitch Keller and Vince Velasquez have been the Bucs' best starters, and David Bednar is still closing things down in All-Star fashion.
Since we last updated, the Bucs have cooled off in a big way, getting swept by the Cubs and taking just one from the Marlins out of four over the weekend.
UP NEXT: The Pirates take on the Padres and Brewers at home this week.
St. Louis Cardinals 32-45 (8.5 games back)
The St. Louis Cardinals are the reigning NL Central Division Champions, but for the first time since I was born, this will be the first season that the Cardinals do not have Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina on the roster. The St. Louis Cardinals did not make much noise in the offseason but acquired former Cub Willson Contreras as their new catcher. However, less than a month into the season, he has already been relieved of his catching duties. Jordan Walker was their top prospect and was called up to start the season, and he has been a great boost to the struggling birds.
The Cardinals struggled badly out of the gates, despite the offense being led by NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt's 12 homers and near .300 average. The return of Adam Wainwright to the rotation and perennial All-Star Nolan Arenado looking like himself again certainly helps. Still, even as Arenado approaches 50 RBI and 15 HR, the Cardinals have not been able to go on a run.
Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, and Jordan Montgomery have been the top three on the mound but have faced their fair share of struggles so far. Flaherty is starting to come back into form, though. Since we last updated, the Cardinals took two of three from the Nationals and split two with the Cubs in London.
UP NEXT: This week, the Redbirds play host to the Astros and the Yankees.
Stay tuned all year for updates on the NL Central.
