The National League Central is currently the only division in MLB in which all five teams have winning records. Heading into Tuesday, the NL Central was the only division in baseball where every club was above the .500 mark, and according to Sportradar, this is the second-latest date in a season that every team in the division has been over .500.
The Chicago Cubs are right behind the Reds
According to the standings cited in the story, the Cincinnati Reds lead the division at 18-10, while the Chicago Cubs are just 1 1/2 games back. The Pittsburgh Pirates are third at 16-13, the St. Louis Cardinals are 15-13, and the Milwaukee Brewers are last at 14-13, but they also own a winning record. That means even the last-place club in the division is above .500, which is unusual this early in the season.
A division full of stars, youth, and depth
The story notes that the NL Central has reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, rising players such as Sal Stewart, Konnor Griffin, and JJ Wetherholt, and established names like Elly De La Cruz and Christian Yelich. Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman described it as “a really good division,” with good pitching and strong offenses, and said every team clearly has a lot of work ahead in the race for the top. 
The Cubs and their rivals are building strength in different ways
As reported, the Cubs signed Alex Bregman in the offseason to a five-year, $175 million contract, while the Reds and Pirates also made significant additions. At the same time, the division has gained extra force through a wave of young hitters. Stewart leads all of MLB with 29 RBIs in 28 games for Cincinnati, Moisés Ballesteros is batting .387 in 25 games for the Cubs, and Wetherholt has hit a solo homer in each of his last three games. Griffin, who signed a nine-year, $140 million deal with Pittsburgh on April 8, has shown signs of moving past his slow start and hit the first homer of his career on his 20th birthday Friday.
Patience at the plate has become a shared strength
One of the key reasons for the strong start by the NL Central is also a patient approach at the plate. The Cubs lead the National League with 130 walks, followed by the Brewers with 126 and the Reds with 119. The Pirates are fifth with 110, while the Cardinals have 103 walks so far. Milwaukee outfielder Garrett Mitchell said the key is “quality at-bats,” adding that it is part of his team’s identity.
The real test is still ahead
Although the NL Central already looks like one of the deepest divisions in the league, the story emphasizes that it remains to be seen how the standings will look once teams begin playing each other more often. St. Louis did not play its first division game until Monday night, when it rallied to beat Pittsburgh 4-2. Cincinnati, Chicago, and Milwaukee had each played only three division games by that point. Pirates manager Don Kelly said it is “cool to see the division be so strong” and added that a lot of really good games are still coming.
Source: FOX32 Photo: Milan Brašanac
