The Milwaukee Brewers find themselves in a territory unfamiliar to them as the 2026 Major League Baseball season draws near. In the past, they have widely been predicted to finish third or worse in the National League Central Division as they traded away their best players and did not spend much money in free agency.
And while these practices have not changed in 2026, no one is writing them off so easily now. Even if Milwaukee decides to trade two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta, many have faith in the roster they have built. Despite their low-profile free agent signings, the Brewers are returning all of their key contributors from 2025, a year which saw them win a franchise-record 97 games.
Now, instead of being considered the hunters, Milwaukee is the hunted. And as next season gets closer and closer, it is interesting to see how the National League Central teams rank ahead of what is sure to be a very competitive year.
1. Milwaukee Brewers
Having won the NL Central in each of the past three seasons, and with little roster turnover heading into 2026, it is difficult to rank the Brewers anywhere but first in way-too-early division rankings.
One of the things that has many believing that Milwaukee can win the division, and essay writers having no issue finding superlatives to describe the team, is that two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger-winning catcher William Contreras will presumably be healthy after playing virtually all last season with a broken finger on his left hand.
He had surgery to repair the injury during the offseason.
In addition to Contreras being healthy, the Brewers will see stars like Sal Frelick, Brice Turang, and Caleb Durbin return, and should see them continue to improve as their Major League careers continue.
Of course, these mentions do not include their stellar pitching staff behind Peralta, which include 2025 breakout star Quinn Priester and phenom Jacob Misiorowski.
2. Chicago Cubs
After finishing second place in the NL Central in 2025, the Craig Counsell-led Chicago Cubs are hoping to return to the top of the division in 2026. Coming off of a year in which they were 92-70 and were beaten by the Brewers in the NLDS, they are hungry for more.
This was made evident by the fact that Chicago made the biggest free agent signing in the NL Central, signing three-time All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman to a massive five-year $175 million contract. He is coming off a year with the Boston Red Sox in which he hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI.
Undoubtedly, the addition of Bregman will only bolster the Cubs offense, as well as their defense as he is a Gold Glove winner at third base. With Pete Crow-Armstrong back for a second season in which he will possibly be even more dynamic, Chicago remains Milwaukee’s top competition in the division.
3. Cincinnati Reds
Many forget that the NL Central sent three teams to the MLB Playoffs last year, with the Cincinnati Reds going 83-79 and claiming a Wild Card spot. And while they did not win their Wild Card game, they clearly are a scrappy team led by Terry Francona, one of the best managers of his era.
The Reds boast speedster Elly de la Cruz at shortstop, a player whose combination of power and speed can change the outcome of any game on any given day. Additionally, Cincinnati had two players (Cruz and Spencer Steer) hit 20+ home runs in 2025, while catcher Tyler Stephenson added 19.
Their biggest challenge will be pitching, especially in the starting rotation, as no starting pitcher made more than 26 starts for them last year.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates finished last in the NL Central last season with a record of 71-91, but boast perhaps the best pitcher in all baseball in Paul Skenes. He won the NL Cy Young Award last season with a 10-10 record and 1.97 ERA.
Clearly, it is the Pirates offense that was their Achilles heal in 2025, as they often could not even score enough runs for Skenes when he allowed two or fewer runs in a game.
They did, however, add Ryan O’Hearn this offseason, hoping his 17 home runs and 65 RBI will add a bit of juice to their lineup.
Of course, the Pirates have a long way to go in order to compete all season with the teams ranked above them here, but they are on the right track (for now).
5. St. Louis Cardinals
It is impossible not to put a team that has gone into full-blown rebuild mode at the bottom of any rankings list. After going 78-84 in 2025, the Cardinals decided to trade aging third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week.
They are now looking to build from the ground up with a high number of prospects and young players that will comprise their roster.
More Milwaukee Brewers news from Wisconsin Sports Heroics
- Brewers offered sketchy 3-year TV deal by Fan Duel Sports Network
- Brewers to hire Concordia University Wisconsin head baseball coach
- Brewers called out for lackluster offseason featuring two minor moves
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