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

After dominating the National League Central for two seasons, the Chicago Cubs came up one short, succumbing to a late surge by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Though the Milwaukee Brewers may have taken the league by storm this past season, nobody in the MLB community will be surprised to see them thrive again in 2019. That includes the team they dispatched in a winner-take-all Game 163, the Chicago Cubs.

In fact, much like the 2015 season, it seems the National League Central Division could now have three legitimate contenders for the National League pennant. Cubs manager Joe Maddon noted as much at the winter meetings in Las Vegas, going so far as to say the Central was the best division in baseball.

Already this offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals ponied up and added Paul Goldschmidt to the mix. Milwaukee has long-term control over NL MVP Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, who turned in career-best numbers last season. And, believe it or not, the Reds and Pirates aren’t as far away as you might think.

So what is the outlook for the division this year, and how does it stack up against the rest of the league?

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: 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.