NL Central Update: Cubs only 2.5 games back in standings |
The 2023 regular season is now underway, and what an exciting start to the year it has been. Baseball has undergone some rule changes to speed up the game and increase action, but there has been no shortage of storylines in the league and the NL Central this season. Vegas picked the Cardinals as the favorite to win a division featuring a lot of roster movement over winter and spring.
At the very least, this division is loaded with talent throughout. Another week has come and gone in the season, and we are through April — we at CUBSHQ are here to break down the action of the NL Central periodically as the season progresses. Here is our fourth NL Central update of the year:
The Pirates were widely expected to finish last in this division throughout the last few years, but their progress over the years does not pencil them in as a bottom feeder in this division. Their strong start to the 2023 season has them in first place through almost a month of baseball. Bryan Reynolds is leading things for the Pirates with five home runs and 27 RBI already, with a stellar .307 batting average. Jack Suwinski's 19 home runs led all rookies last year, and he has seven dingers on the season thus far. Andrew McCutchen has also seen some success in his return to Pittsburgh and has been a strong producer in the lineup. O'Neil Cruz was expected by many to take a giant leap this season, but he is on the injured list. Mitch Keller and Vince Velasquez have been the Bucs' best starters, and David Bednar is still closing things down in All-Star fashion. Since we last updated, the Bucs have not won, dropping all three to both the Rays and the Blue Jays. UP NEXT: This week, the Pirates take on the Rockies at home and then visit Baltimore for three with the Orioles.
Like last season, the Brewers were constructed to prevent runs, not score them. The Brewers are boosted by the excellent pitching staff of Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, and Corbin Burnes — a three-headed monster that stacks up against anybody in the National League. But just like last season, the Brewers have faced some injuries lately in the pitching staff. Despite not having a potent offensive attack, the Brewers have been able to string together some nice wins in the early going. Offensively, Milwaukee has been led by Rowdy Tellez and Willy Adames, similar to last season. Brian Anderson and former Brave catcher William Contreras have been welcome additions thus far. Since we last updated, the Rockies swept the Brewers and dropped two of three from the Giants over the weekend. UP NEXT: The Brewers are back home this week, hosting the Dodgers and the Royals for three games each.
The Cubs finished in third place in the NL Central last year and made it a point of focus over the offseason to make drastic improvements to the team — which also fit baseball's new rules. The Cubs may have let Willson Contreras go, but they committed to long-term contract extensions with Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ, both of whom enjoyed breakout campaigns in 2022. The Cubs acquired Trey Mancini, Eric Hosmer, Cody Bellinger, Tucker Barnhart, Jameson Taillon, Brad Boxberger, and Michael Fulmer over the offseason to improve the team — plus the big ticket item of Dansby Swanson to be the team's starting shortstop for the next seven years. In the early going, the moves have paid off. The Cubs are near the lead in the National League in runs per game and are top five in the MLB in both batting average and starters ERA. Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele have been as good as any two starters in baseball, Patrick Wisdom is tied for near the MLB lead in home runs, Nico Hoerner leads the MLB in steals, the Cubs have three qualified players hitting over .300 and have been very fun to watch so far. The Cubs have also looked to Iowa for some reinforcements as the season comes into swing. The Cubs dropped three of four to the Nationals and took two of three from the Marlins. UP NEXT: This week, the Cubs play the Cardinals for the first time this season at Wrigley and then head to Minnesota for three with the Twins.
The Reds are once again expected to be one of the worst teams in the MLB early on. Fully in another rebuild. Joey Votto is the only recognizable name on a team with players like Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Nicholas Castellanos, Jesse Winker, and Eugenio Suarez. The Reds' claim to fame has been flame-thrower Hunter Greene, who is developing into a young ace in baseball. Offensively it has been a mixed bag thus far. Since we last updated, the Reds dropped two of three to the Padres and the White Sox. UP NEXT: This week, the Reds host the New York Mets and then travel to Miami for three with the Marlins over the weekend.
The St. Louis Cardinals are the reigning NL Central Division Champions, but for the first time since I was born, this will be the first season that the Cardinals do not have Albert Pujols or Yadier Molina on the roster. The St. Louis Cardinals did not make much noise in the offseason but acquired former Cub Willson Contreras as their new catcher. Jordan Walker was their top prospect and was called up to start the season. And has been an absolute stud for them early on with a 12-game hit streak but has been demoted recently. The offense has been led by NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt's seven homers and .300 average. Still, it has been plagued by the struggles of perennial All-Star Nolan Arenado — but they have certainly been boosted by Nolan Gorman's hot start. On the mound, Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, and Jordan Montgomery have been the top three but have faced their fair share of struggles so far. Flaherty is starting to come back into form as well. Since we last updated, the Cardinals have struggled mightily, dropping three straight to the Angels and dropping two of three to the Detroit Tigers over the weekend. UP NEXT: This week, the Redbirds are in Chicago against the Cubs and then in Boston for three against the Red Sox. Stay tuned all year for updates on the NL Central.Pittsburgh Pirates 20-15
Milwaukee Brewers 19-15 (0.5 games back)
Chicago Cubs 17-17 (2.5 games back)
Cincinnati Reds 14-20 (5.5 games back)
St. Louis Cardinals 11-24 (9 games back)
