Nearly every MLB team has played 60 games of their 2023 season and one popular news topic has been the National League Central standings. This division is currently viewed as one of the weakest in baseball with the opposing American League Central division being viewed similarly.
At the time of this publication the Pittsburgh Pirates currently sit in first place with a 32-27 record. The Milwaukee Brewers are the only other team above .500 with a 32-28 record. Following these top two teams are the Cincinnati Reds at 27-33, Chicago Cubs at 26-33, and St. Louis Cardinals at 25-36. The Cardinals have the most surprising record so far and currently have the worst record in the National League.
Let’s take a further look at the National League Central standings and how each team has fared so far.
Pittsburgh Pirates (32-27)
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a pleasant surprise through the first two months of the season. Despite losing shortstop Oneil Curz to a left ankle fracture early on the Pirates had an incredible April and at their best were 12 games over .500. May was not as kind to them but they are riding a six game winning streak to begin the month of June. Their pitching staff currently has a top 10 ERA, star Bryan Reynolds has been good, and they have been getting solid production from veteran players Carlos Santana and Andrew McCutchen. Given the current state of the NL Central the Pirates are looking like legit playoff contenders this season.
Milwaukee Brewers (32-28)
Similar to the Pirates, the Brewers had a great April, bad month of May, and the first week of June has been good to them. Injuries have been the biggest story line for this team. Their starting rotation is without Brandon Woodruff until the All-Star break, Aaron Ashby is recovering from shoulder surgery, and lefties Eric Lauer and Wade Miley are currently rehabbing back from injury. Wisconsin native Owen Miller has been the biggest surprise contributor to this team, but they will need bigger and more consistent offensive contributions from players such as Christian Yelich, Rowdy Tellez, and Willy Adames if they want to be a more feared playoff contender.
Cincinnati Reds (27-33)
Despite being six games below .500 there is a lot of optimism in Cincinnati these days. They are letting their younger players on the field, are stealing a ton of bases, and recently called up top prospect Elly De La Cruz. This could create a log jam of infielders, so it will be interesting to see how the managerial staff shifts players around to ensure they are all getting at-bats and utilized appropriately. A lot of their younger players are under club control for several more years so the experience that they are gaining this year will be very beneficial in the future.
Chicago Cubs (26-33)
During the offseason the Cubs locked up star shortstop Dansby Swanson and pitcher Jameson Tailllon while also adding veterans Cody Bellinger, Trey Mancini, and Brad Boxberger. They have streaky hitters in Patrick Wisdom and Christopher Morel to go along with rather consistent performers Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner but overall wins have been hard to come by. They are not out of the running yet but they will need to be better with situational hitting and in the bullpen in order to remain in contention.
St. Louis Cardinals (25-36)
The St. Louis Cardinals may be the most disappointing team in baseball this year. After winning the National League Central in 2022, adding Willson Contreras during the offseason, and returning a vast majority of their previous years roster the expectation is that they will return to the playoffs. So far they do not look like a contending team, but the Cardinals have been known to rattle off insane winning streaks in the past so don’t count them out yet.
With approximately 100 games or so to go for each team a lot can happen over the next three months.
Follow me on Twitter @tylerkoerth. Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!. We cover the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Wisconsin Badgers.
