NL Central Preview
Chicago Cubs - They had a bad start to the year by getting into a negotiation battle with the star they traded for. If they want to make any noise this year, they will have to catch lightning in a bottle. Kyle Tucker is a huge acquisition, but they didn’t do much else to improve the roster.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Nico Hoerner
- Dansby Swanson
- Kyle Tucker
- Matt Shaw
- Ian Happ
- Seiya Suzuki
- Michael Busch
- Carson Kelly
- Pete Crow-Armstrong
Rotation -
- Shota Imanaga
- Justin Steele
- Jameson Taillon
- Matthew Boyd
- Javier Assad
Closer - Ryan Pressly
Projected Win Total: 88.5
I think their win total is the best-case scenario for them. I don’t see how this team can be much better, and the best player on the team, Kyle Tucker, most likely doesn't want to be there in the first place. At best, this team finishes at .500; they don’t have enough good pitching to win enough games to actually be contenders.
Cincinnati Reds - Time will tell if this young team has finally taken the final step into becoming contenders. They had a productive offseason, adding two All-Star-level arms to their bullpen and Austin Hayes to the middle of the lineup.
Healthy Projected Lineup -
- T.J. Fried
- Matt McClain
- Elly De La Cruz
- Austin Hayes
- Spencer Steer
- Tyler Stephenson
- Gavin Lux
- Jake Fraley
- Javier Candelario
Rotation -
- Hunter Greene
- Nick Lodolo
- Andrew Abbott
- Rhett Lowder
- Brady Stinger
Closer - Alexis Díaz
Projected Win Total: 79.5
If this team can stay healthy, they should be fighting for a wild card spot or even a division crown, as this is the most wide-open division in all of MLB. I don’t think the Brewers have what it takes to run away with the division, so if I had to choose, I would take the over.
Milwaukee Brewers - They traded away their best player last season to get something in return before he decided to walk away in free agency, and they ended up getting nothing. They will also get Woodruff back at some point this season.
Healthy Projected Lineup -
- Jackson Chourio
- Christian Yelich
- William Contreras
- Garrett Mitchell
- Joey Ortiz
- Rhys Hoskins
- Brice Turang
- Oliver Dunn
- Sal Frelick
Rotation -
- Brandon Woodruff
- Aaron Ashby
- Nestor Cortes
- Freddy Peralta
- D.L. Hall
Closer - Trevor Megill
Projected Win Total: 82.5
This team could make it to the World Series, or they could finish in last place in the NL Central, and either way, I wouldn’t be surprised by the outcome. They have one of the best young players in the sport, Jackson Chourio, who has power, speed, and is great in the field. I won’t touch this preseason over because it can go either way.
Pittsburgh Pirates - They are returning the best young pitcher in the sport, Paul Skenes, who is coming off winning Rookie of the Year in the NL last season and finishing 3rd in the Cy Young voting as well. We will see if this team is ready to take a step forward after a quiet offseason, only adding Tommy Pham and bringing back Adam Frazier.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Tommy Pham
- Bryan Reynolds
- Oneil Cruz
- Andrew McCutchen
- Joey Bart
- Spencer Horwitz
- Ke’Bryan Hayes
- Nick Gonzales
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Rotation -
- Paul Skenes
- Mitch Keller
- Jared Jones
- Andrew Heaney
- Bailey Falter
Closer - David Bednar
Projected Win Total: 75.5
I believe the top three guys in their rotation could get them 50 wins this season, so you need the bottom two to get 16 wins, which sounds like a fair bet. Thus, I see them going over their win total this year. Everyone in the NL Central is close in skill level, so I don't see anyone running away with the division.
St. Louis Cardinals - St. Louis didn’t make any additions this offseason; they primarily tried to trade away bad contracts, though they ended up cutting ties with Paul Goldschmidt instead. They couldn’t find a trade partner for Nolan Arenado, but they got one of the bad contracts out of town, so I would consider it a productive offseason.
Projected Healthy Lineup -
- Lars Nootbaar
- Wilson Contreras
- Brendan Donovan
- Nolan Arenado
- Jordan Walker
- Alec Burleson
- Ivan Herrera
- Victor Scott
- Masyn Winn
Rotation -
- Sonny Gray
- Erick Fedde
- André Pallante
- Miles Mikolas
- Matthew Liberatore
Closer - Ryan Helsley
Projected Win Total: 75.5
This is an organization that historically knows what they are doing, and considering how wide open this division is, I don’t understand why they have such a low win total. I would lean toward the over simply because the Cardinals have never been bad for long during my lifetime.
