Know Your Enemy: An early look at the NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals

Oct 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina hits a single against the San Francisco Giants in the 7th inning in game one of the 2014 NLCS playoff baseball game at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals have been the most consistent team in recent history in the entire league. They have appeared in the NLCS for the past four years, winning the World Series in 2011. Last season, they lost in five games to the eventual champion San Francisco Giants. All-Star catcher Yadier Molina was injured in the second game of that series. It was a loss they couldn’t overcome.

Shortly after their season ended, star prospect Oscar Taveras died tragically in a car crash in the Dominican Republic. Taveras was likely going to be the Opening Day starting right fielder for the Cardinals, but they found a replacement quickly by trading pitcher Shelby Miller to the Atlanta Braves for Jason Heyward. The Cards will look to Heyward to make the offense more potent since they were near the bottom of the league in runs per game last season.

The starting rotation remains solid at the top with ace Adam Wainwright. The 33-year-old posted a 2.38 ERA last season and was third in Cy Young voting. The rest of the rotation could be a bit of a wild card though. John Lackey is 36 now and had an ERA near 4 last season and young phenom Michael Wacha spent time on the disabled list last season with a shoulder injury.

Even with the unknown factors going into spring training, it looks like the Cardinals will most likely win the division for their third consecutive season. They have strong leaders in Molina and Wainwright and they find a way to win games every season.

Next: Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates

Sep 25, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) hits a sacrifice fly scoring Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Josh Harrison (not pictured) in the third inning of their game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

2014 W-L: 88-74

The Pirates took the biggest blow in the division when they lost catcher Russell Martin to free agency. Martin leaves a gap in the offense that the Pirates hope can be filled by former MVP Andrew McCutchen and third baseman Josh Harrison. McCutchen has been well known in the league for many years, but Harrison broke out in 2014 with a .315 average. If the Pirates want to be in the playoffs again, McCutchen and Harrison will need to have high averages again and hope third baseman Pedro Alvarez can emulate his 2013 season, when he hit 36 home runs with 100 RBI.

The Pirates hope Gerrit Cole can be the ace of their rotation, but he will need to improve on his 3.65 ERA. Veteran Francisco Liriano has bounced back since signing with the Pirates in 2013, averaging a 3.20 ERA in the two seasons since. He re-signed with them this offseason on a three-year deal. The Pirates also brought back A.J. Burnett after he spent one season with the Phillies. He struggled in Philly but looks to get back into the form he was in during his previous Pirates stint.

The Pirates look like they will be the Cubs biggest competition if they’re competing for second in the division. The loss of Martin could be the difference between the Pirates making the playoffs again, or losing out to the Cubs or another NL team.

Next: Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers

Sep 5, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun (8) reacts after striking out in the fifth inning during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

2014 W-L: 82-80

The Brewers started off 2014 hot and were in first place for most of the first half of the season. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy became an elite catcher, putting up numbers comparable to Buster Posey and Yadier Molina. Ryan Braun started the season hot, but tailed off, ending the season with a .266 BA along with an injured thumb, which required surgery.

Starter Kyle Lohse has been the go-to pitcher for the Brew Crew, but he hasn’t put up spectacular numbers. The 31-year-old is in the last year of his contract and will be looking to have a big year to set himself up for one last big payday after the season. Matt Garza is a solid starter who is slightly above average, meaning Wily Peralta will need to step up and elevate his game to be comparable to Lohse if the Brewers don’t want to be stuck near the bottom of the division.

The Brewers added Adam Lind to play first base in the hopes that he can prevent them from sputtering out again, but that most likely will not be enough to bring sustained success over a full season.

Next: Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds

Jun 30, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) adjusts during an at bat during the third inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

W-L: 76-86

The Reds struggled with injuries to some of their key players, including Jay Bruce and Joey Votto, which took away any hope they had at having a successful season. Adding them in with speedster Billy Hamilton, third baseman Todd Frazier and new addition Marlon Byrd, the Reds offense looks to be one of the most formidable in the division.

Johnny Cueto put up a ridiculous 2.25 ERA and finished second in Cy Young voting. There have been some major changes to the rotation this offseason though, with Mat Latos and Alfredo Simon both being traded away. Homer Bailey (who could miss the beginning of the season due to surgery) and Mike Leake are as important as they’ve ever been for the Reds.

While starting pitching is a mystery, there’s no question about the closer’s role. Fireballer Aroldis Chapman will continue to overload radar guns around the country and finish games strong for the Reds.

The Reds are solid, but in a division as deep as this and with their starting rotation losses, they could fall behind the competition unless their pitchers put up career numbers.