2024 Division Outlook: NL Central

Welcome back to another round of the division preview series, this time heading over to the NL and taking on the National League Central. The National League Central has a lot of young talent, an area where the division shines. The division has no powerhouses, mirroring its American League partner, leaving the division up for grabs. This makes it a competitive division in a unique manner, as I honestly could see three different teams making a bid for the crown, with all five being closer than you may think. With all that being said, let's dive into the five teams that make up the National League Central.

Chicago Cubs

Key Additions
- Manager Craig Counsell
- OF/1B Cody Bellinger
- LHP Shota Imanaga
- RHP Hector Neris
- RHP Yency Almonte
- INF Michael Busch

Key Loses
- RHP Marcus Stroman
- 3B/1B Jeimer Candelario

The Chicago Cubs are in a prime position to take home their first division crown since 2020, and I believe they will do exactly that. The Cubs seemed to be a lock to make the postseason last year, but a dreadful end of season collapse led to their playoff hopes disappearing before them. After a strong offseason that saw them retain Cody Bellinger and bring in star NPB southpaw Shota Imanaga and rival manager Craig Counsell, the Cubs need to capitalize on a somewhat weak division with no notable powerhouses. After serving as the manager for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2015-2023, Craig Counsell is ready for a new challenge with the Cubs, after signing a record breaking manager deal.

The Cubs lineup isn't one that will make headlines or be the strongest in the game, but is comprised of contributors throughout, establishing itself as a more under the radar offense. Counsell's lineup will be headlined by former NL MVP Cody Bellinger, who reaped the benefits of a resurgent 2023 season, posting a 134 wRC+ and 4.0 fWAR. Fellow free agent signings Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson join Bellinger to assemble the core of the Cubs' lineup. Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ are two underrated hitters that always get the job done, and Christopher Morel is expected to flourish after a breakout power season last year. Michael Busch, the former Dodgers' top prospect, was acquired this offseason and can easily become an underrated pickup by Jed Hoyer. Veterans like Garrett Cooper, Mike Tauchman, Yan Gomes, and Patrick Wisdom complete the Cubs offensive attack.

In my opinion, pitching is where the Cubs could fall short, as I'm not too impressed by their 2024 rotation. Justin Steele broke out in a big way last year, finishing fifth in the NL Cy Young race, and will lead the Cubs rotation this year. Behind him will be two more southpaws in Jordan Wicks and Shota Imanaga, along with veterans Kyle Hendricks and Jameson Taillon. With Taillon slated to begin the season on the IL, Javier Assad will have his name called upon to start the season as the Cubs fifth starter. Their bullpen will be serviceable, as free agent signing Hector Neris will help improve the unit from their shaky season last year. Like I said earlier, I'm not too high on the Cubs staff as a unit. Regardless, I have them winning the division this year, as I still believe enough in this team as a whole, and you can never count Craig Counsell out when it comes to finding the postseason.

Team MVP: Cody Bellinger

Team Cy Young: Justin Steele

Team X-Factor: The starting rotation

The Nationals will host the Cubs for three games from August 30-September 1, and visit historic Wrigley Field for four games from September 19-22.

Cincinnati Reds

Key Additions
- 1B/3B Jeimer Candelario
- RHP Frankie Montas
- RHP Nick Martinez
- RHP Emilio Pagan

Key Loses
- 1B/DH Joey Votto
- UTL Nick Senzel

If anyone challenges the Cubs for the NL Central crown this year, I fully believe it will be the Cincinnati Reds. Even if they aren't the best team in the division, they are most certainly the most fun team in the Central, if not all of Major League Baseball. Headlined by a stack of top prospects, the Reds broke out in 2023, and are looking to take the next step forward this year.

There are young stars up and down the Reds lineup, such as Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, and Noelvi Marte. Unfortunately, the last two will not start the season with the team, as McLain is dealing with an injury and Marte has been suspended 80 games for PEDs. Regardless, this Reds lineup can be really, really good this year. All the players mentioned above had their moments last year, good and bad, that they will all look to build upon heading into this year. While they had down years last year, Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson can still be an offensive threats at the top and bottom of the lineup, with veterans Jake Fraley and Jeimer Candelario look to be consistent contributors in the heart of David Bell's lineup. TJ Friedl will also begin the season on the IL, but will be looking forward to coming back and building off his breakout season from last year. The sky is the ceiling for this offense, as they have the chance to be one of the most prolific and fun lineups in all of baseball, but the production will be determined on how consistent the young guys can be.

Just like their offense, the Reds have some former top prospects ready to lead their rotation. While always being known as a guy that has that top of the rotation potential, Hunter Greene heads into 2024 ready to establish himself as just that. Fellow young guys Andrew Abbott, Graham Ashcraft, Nick Lodolo, and Brandon Williamson all join Greene as starters looking to establish themselves, and all four have the capabilites to do so. Unfortunately, the latter two will begin the season on the shelf with injuries, but are looking forward to getting back. Veteran free agent signings Frankie Montas and NIck Martinez will take their spots in the rotation to begin the season, creating a rotation that will be put to the test in Great American Ball Park, one of the more hitter-friendly venues in the big leagues.

Even if they don't win the division this year, the Cincinnati Reds are primed to be one of the most fun squads in the league this year, while still being good. While the Reds may not capture the division, I believe they can grab one of the three National League wild card spots and return to the playoffs come October.

Team MVP: Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Team Cy Young: Hunter Greene

Team X-Factor: Elly De La Cruz

The Nationals will open the season in Cincinnati for three games from March 28-31, and then host the Reds for three games from July 19-21.

Milwaukee Brewers

Key Additions
- 1B Rhys Hoskins
- RHP Brandon Woodruff
- C Gary Sanchez
- RHP Jakob Junis
- LHP DL Hall
- SS Joey Ortiz
- RHP Joe Ross

Key Loses
- RHP Corbin Burnes
- 1B Rowdy Tellez
- RHP Adrian Houser
- 3B Josh Donaldson
- 1B Carlos Santana
- OF Mark Canha
- OF Tyrone Taylor
- LHP Andrew Chafin

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I am not high on the Brew Crew at all heading into 2024. To begin, they lost David Stearns to the Mets and Craig Counsell to the aforementioned Cubs. Former bench coach Pat Murphy will take over this year, hoping to cultivate some success with a roster that leaves a lot to be desired.

Offensively, the Brewers have always been a boom or bust lineup in a sense, with a lot of their success driven through the long ball. While good enough for the regular season, the Brewers faithful watched their lineup fault over and over again in the postseason, and now that lineup looks to be bare. Albeit still productive, former MVP Christian Yelich hasn't been the same since a knee injury at the end of the 2019 season. Willy Adames has been a consistent power source for the Brew Crew since his acquisition in 2021, and William Contreras established himself as an elite catcher last season. They also added Rhys Hoskins, who's coming off a torn ACL that took his 2023 season, and Gary Sanchez this offseason, two major potential power sources. Where a lot of the Brewers offensive potential lies is in their young talent, as their projected lineup includes four hitters with less than a year of time in the majors. Those four hitters are Sal Frelick, Brice Turang, Joey Ortiz, and Jackson Chourio, with Chourio coming into 2024 ranked the number 2 prospect in baseball. If those four young guys can hit and add depth to the Milwaukee lineup, then the Brew Crew can creep their way back into relevancy sooner than you may think.

The Brewers have been known for their pitching lab for the last half-decade or so, and that lab will have some work to do with a mostly new group of pitchers. The Brewers boasted a three headed monster in recent years that comprised of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, and Freddy Peralta. After the blockbuster that sent Burnes to Baltimore and Woodruff being ruled out for the year with an injury, only Peralta remains in the 2024 rotation. He will be joined by veterans Colin Rea, Jakob Junis, and Joe Ross, who the Brewers hope to get the most out of. DL Hall, one of the centerpieces of the Burnes trade, will be an interesting arm to keep an eye on. The talent is there for the young man, but walk and health issues in Baltimore led to him being a reliever in his short time in the major leagues. Hall hopes to be a staple southpaw in Milwaukee's rotation for the future, and the Brewers are a team that can make that work. Milwaukee's pitching will definitely take a sharp decline in 2024, and we'll have to see if it is too much for the offense to overcome.

Over the last six or seven seasons, Milwaukee has been a team that is routinely in the postseason, but that consistency is in question this year. They do live in a division that looks to be up for grabs, but the question remains of if Milwaukee has the talent to get that done this year.

Team MVP: William Contreras

Team Cy Young: Freddy Peralta

Team X-Factor: The young hitters

The Nationals will visit the Brew Crew for three games from July 12-14, and host them for three games from August 2-4.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Key Additions
- LHP Aroldis Chapman
- 1B Rowdy Tellez
- LHP Marco Gonzales
- LHP Martin Perez

Key Loses
- RHP Vince Velasquez
- INF Miguel Andujar

The Pirates accompany the Reds as teams with a lot of young talent to showcase and build off of for the future. Most of that major league talent is already in the major leagues, with Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Henry Davis all being front and center in Pittsburgh's lineup. Oneil Cruz is one of the most exciting players in the world, mirroring Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz in that manner. Oneil Cruz boasts some elite offensive potential, as he absolutely smokes the baseball at record levels, while having a cannon of an arm at shortstop. Bryan Reynolds has been a consistently great hitter for the Pirates for some years now, leading him to be rewarded with the largest contract in team history. Ke'Bryan Hayes has challenged Nolan Arenado for the title of the best defensive third basemen in baseball, but is still looking to put it all together offensively. Former first overall pick Henry Davis also looks to keep improving offensively after starting to showcase his power in the major leagues last season. Jack Suwinski is another young outfielder with a lot of quiet power in his left handed swing, so keep an eye on him, as he tends to be overshadowed by the top prospects in Pittsburgh. The rest of the Pirates lineup will have veterans that include Andrew McCutchen, Rowdy Tellez, and Michael A. Taylor.

The brightest pitcher in the Pirates organization will begin the season in the minor leagues, as 2023 first overall pick Paul Skenes will have some time to marinate in the lower levels before moving up. 2023 breakout Mitch Keller will headline Pittsburgh's rotation, as he hopes to improve upon his stellar season from last year and clean up some of his few weak spots. Outside of those two, keep an eye on Jared Jones, a spring training non-roster invite who had an exceptional spring and earned a rotation spot to begin the season. Martin Perez, Bailey Falter, and Marco Gonzalez are the veterans that round off the rotation, with JT Brubaker and Johan Ovideo waiting to come off the IL and contribute.

The Pirates are young and fun, and have the chance to make some noise in 2024. The talent is up and coming in Pittsburgh, but they appear at least a year or two away from moving into a contender role in the National League.

Team MVP: Oneil Cruz

Team Cy Young: Mitch Keller

Team X-Factor: Ke'Bryan Hayes

The Nationals will host the Pirates for their home opener from April 1-4, and visit gorgeous PNC Park for four games from September 5-8.