Chicago Cubs: Is the NL Central now the best division in baseball?

Chicago Cubs: It is Milwaukee’s division for now

The Brewers abruptly ended the Cubs’ quest for a third straight NL Central title in 2018, and they look primed to remain at the top.

National League MVP Christian Yelich is only just entering the prime of his career at 27 years old and Lorenzo Cain seemed to thrive in Milwaukee (where he was drafted back in 2006), posting his second-highest fWAR and playing arguably the best defensive center field in baseball.

Jesus Aguilar had a career year at the plate despite a somewhat lackluster second half, and Ryan Braun hit .281 with an .879 OPS after the All-Star Break.

But the strength of Milwaukee is undoubtedly the pitching. Josh Hader and Jeremy Jeffress headline a dominant bullpen, and the Brewers should get a huge boost in the rotation with a healthy Jimmy Nelson and the possible insertion of Brandon Woodruff as a starter.

Make no mistake, this team is for real.

Chicago Cubs: Team hungry to get back on top

It has been said time and again this offseason, but for the Cubs to still win 95 games in a “down” year is no small feat, especially given some of the circumstances they faced.

Theo Epstein’s offseason additions – Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood – flopped badly, Kris Bryant was constantly hampered by an ailing shoulder and Willson Contreras folded after catching over 1,100 innings, the most in the bigs.

Still, Javier Baez posted a career year, finishing runner-up in the NL MVP race, Anthony Rizzo rebounded from a brutal two-month stretch, and the pitching staff was tremendous – despite battling numerous key injuries.

The front office has spoken ad nauseam about internal improvements being crucial to the team’s success next year, which is hard to argue.

A healthy Darvish and Bryant paired with drastic improvements from the likes of Contreras, Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber (amongst others) could have a truly drastic impact on the team.

The Cubs still need to add a bullpen arm (or two), but regardless of whether or not Chicago signs a big-name free agent like Bryce Harper, this is a nucleus that has averaged over 95 wins for the past four years.

They should expect to compete once again.

Chicago Cubs: A return to glory in St. Louis?

While the Brewers and Cubs have mostly stood pat this offseason, the Cardinals have made possibly the biggest splash yet, landing All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Goldschmidt has averaged an absurd 5.47 fWAR in his last six seasons in the league and is arguably the best two-way first baseman in the entire league.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

His ability to play first base will also allow Matt Carpenter to shift over to his more natural position at third, which could be invaluable for a Cards defense that led the league in errors last season.

Marcell Ozuna was tremendous when healthy, and St. Louis’ young talent like Harrison Bader and Tyler O’Neill are only getting better.

The pitching staff is no joke either. Carlos Martinez, still one of the premier talents in the game, almost felt like an afterthought last year due to the stellar performances of Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty. They could be arguably the best front three in baseball next season.

Finally, the Cards possess a deep bullpen with flamethrowers like Jordan Hicks and a now-healthy Alex Reyes. Yikes.

Last season, the Cardinals went 88-74 despite a 12-15 record in September that eliminated them from playoff contention. A full year under new manager Mike Schildt could be the proper remedy in St. Louis, as Schildt had a 41-28 record after taking over for Mike Matheny.

Now, with Goldschmidt in the mix (and possibly more moves on the way, like trading Jose Martinez), the Cardinals look primed to return to their former glory.

Chicago Cubs: The “bottom feeders” aren’t so bad

The Pirates also finished above .500 last season, and with a full season from guys like Corey Dickerson, Adam Frazier and newly-acquired Lonnie Chisenhall, they could once again be pesky in the division.

Jameson Taillon and Trevor Williams are quality starters, and if Chris Archer can evoke even a shell of his former self, their rotation is in good shape at the top. Pair that with one of the best back-end bullpens in the league–Kyle Crick, Richard Rodriguez and Felipe Vasquez–and the pitching staff shapes up quite nicely.

Will there be enough offense? That may depend on improvements from Josh Bell and a full, healthy season from Gregory Polanco to go along with the All-Star caliber play of Starling Marte. Regardless, the Pirates should win their fair share.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati, the Reds’ trio of Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Scooter Gennett carry the offense, while closer Raisel Iglesias headlines the pitching staff.

The rotation is still weak, but the Reds added a steady presence in Tanner Roark, and the bullpen has some quality arms like Jared Hughes and Michael Lorenzen.

The Reds do not have quite enough firepower or pitching depth to contend, but they should be improved in David Bell’s first season as manager.

Chicago Cubs: Best of the rest

Team for team, the NL Central very well might be the best division in baseball.

The AL East could feature three 95-win teams if the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays play up to their potential, but the Blue Jays are looking like sellers this offseason, and the Orioles are the worst team in the league by a pretty wide margin.

Both leagues have competitive divisions out West. But in the AL, the Mariners are totally depleted after their fire sale and the A’s should be due for regression given their weak starting rotation.

And in the National League, the Diamondbacks just lost their best player (Goldschmidt) while the Rockies could lose both DJ LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino.

The NL East could also be vastly improved from last season due to upgrades made by the Mets and Nationals. But top to bottom, it still does not stack up against the Central. At least not yet.

The NL Central may be the only team in the league next season that could have three 90-game winners and four teams above .500, so it is pretty hard to argue against the competitiveness of the division.