Brewers are sending a loud reminder to the Cubs that they can't ignore

The NL Central was getting a little wonky there for a moment, with the Cincinnati Reds defying their run differential to take the top spot in the division and the St. Louis Cardinals somehow overcoming their rebuilding efforts to look like a true contender.

In recent weeks, however, things have begun to return to normal. The Reds have slipped all the way to the bottom of the standings, while the Redbirds own an expected win-loss record of 21-20. Like last year, the top two squads in the Central are now the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers.

The North Siders, of course, have been a destructive force since early April, with two separate double-digit winning streaks boosting their record to 27-15. Despite a laundry list of injuries and the continued absences of three of the team's best pitchers (Justin Steele, Cade Horton, and Matthew Boyd), the Cubs just keep winning by bludgeoning their opponents with a deep lineup.

Unfortunately, the Brewers are up to their usual shenanigans, and after a slow start in April, they've completely righted the ship this month. Behind a five-game winning streak and an 8-2 record over their last 10 contests, the Crew are poised to be a thorn in the Cubs' side for all of 2026.

Brewers threatening a repeat of 2025 feat that the Cubs must stave off

On June 17, 2025, the Cubs held a commanding 6.5-game lead over the Brewers for the NL Central lead. Roughly one month later, the All-Star Break came and went with that gap down to just a single game. And by the end of July, Milwaukee had usurped first place in the division and wouldn't give it back the rest of the way.

In other words, we've seen this exact same story before. The Brewers have rarely been a hot starter during their current reign of terror in the Central, and yet they've won four of the past five division titles. It'd be foolish to count them out just because of their lack of star power or initial deficit in the standings.

That's especially true seeing as their bill of health is far cleaner than the Cubs' right now. They just returned Christian Yelich from an extended stay on the injured list, which comes after both Jackson Chourio and Andrew Vaughn also made their comebacks.

Though Chicago's offense has been far more potent this year (18-point gap in wRC+ between the two teams), the Cubs' battered and bruised pitching staff is already lagging behind (the Brewers' ERA is .40 better). The NL Central was always expected to come down to a two-horse race between these teams, and this latest run from Milwaukee only serves as a reminder that no one will be running away with the division any time soon.

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