NL Central standings show every team is winning. We break down why

[ASFN Admin]

The Milwaukee Brewers head into the week of May 4 with a strong 18-15 record, especially considering that the team has been playing without several key offensive contributors.

The problem? That's only good for a tie for fourth place in the National League Central Division, percentage points ahead of Pittsburgh for the division cellar.

The Brewers are 3½ games behind the frontrunning Chicago Cubs. It's the only division in baseball with every team above .500.

Here's what's happening with every NL Central team:

Standings in National League Central (through May 3)​

• Chicago Cubs, 22-12
• Cincinnati Reds, 20-14 (2 games back)
• St. Louis Cardinals, 20-14 (2 games back)
• Milwaukee Brewers, 18-15 (3½ games back)
• Pittsburgh Pirates, 19-16 (3½ games back)

Chicago Cubs​

• Record: 22-12
• Current trend: Won five straight games and 11 consecutive games played at Wrigley Field.
• Stat to know: The Cubs lead all of baseball with a .353 on-base percentage.
• Players who are thriving: Moisés Ballesteros probably isn't a name Brewers fans expected to concern themselves with, but he has a .978 OPS ... Nico Hoerner leads the team in WAR as an outstanding defensive second baseman and carrying an .841 OPS. ... Seiya Suzuki has a .928 OPS and .402 on-base percentage. ... Ian Happ has eight homers. ... ***** Imanaga has a 2.40 ERA in seven starts. ... Newcomer Edward Cabrera has a 3.06 ERA despite only 29 strikeouts in more than 35 innings.
• Up next: Chicago hosts Cincinnati for four games, then goes on a three-city road trip to Texas, Atlanta and Chicago to face the White Sox.
• When do they next face the Brewers? May 18-20 at Wrigley Field

Cincinnati Reds​

• Record: 20-14
• Current trend: Lost three straight and four of five.
• Stat to know: They also just lost their first one-run game of the season (7-1) and are 4-0 in two-run games.
• Players who are thriving: Elly De La Cruz has an .890 OPS with 10 homers and 25 RBIs, plus eight stolen bases. ... Sal Stewart was just named the NL Rookie of the Month with an .852 OPS and nine homers. ... Newcomer Nathaniel Lowe has a .945 OPS. ... Flamethrowing starter Chase Burns has been excellent with a 2.20 ERA in seven games, with 46 strikeouts in 41 innings. ... Graham Ashcraft has a 1.13 ERA in 16 relief appearances.
• Up next: Cincinnati visits Wrigley for a four-game series with the red-hot Cubs, then a homestand against Houston and Washington before traveling to Cleveland.
• When do they next face the Brewers? Not until June 22-24 in Cincinnati.

St. Louis Cardinals​

• Record: 20-14
• Current trend: Lost Sunday to snap a six-game winning streak immediately coming off a four-game losing streak.
• Stat to know: Surprising team tied for fourth with Cubs and Reds across baseball in home runs with 44. Also regarded as a top-five defensive team by defensive runs saved.
• Players who are thriving: Jordan Walker is having a breakout season with 10 homers, 27 RBIs and a .964 OPS. ... Rookie JJ Wetherholt is second on the team in WAR with a .791 OPS. ... Slick-fielding Masyn Winn has a .725 OPS and is third on the team with 1.2 WAR. ...Michael McGreevy has a 2.52 ERA in seven starts despite only 24 strikeouts in 39 innings. ... Riley O'Brien already has nine saves.
• Up next: The Cardinals host Milwaukee for three games, followed by a seven-game trip out west to see San Diego and the Athletics, with Kansas City and Pittsburgh on the other side.
• When do they next face the Brewers: May 4, with more games at American Family Field upcoming May 25-27.

Pittsburgh Pirates​

• Record: 19-16
• Current trend: Swept the Reds to bounce back immediately after a five-game losing streak.
• Stat to know: The Pirates lead all of baseball with 330 strikeouts among its pitchers.
• Players who are thriving: Paul Skenes obviously, who has 39 strikeouts in 34 innings and a 3.18 ERA in seven starts. ... Braxton Ashcraft (3.02 ERA) and Mitch Keller (2.85) have been excellent in the rotation. ... Gregory Soto has a 1.59 ERA in 17 relief outings. ... Newcomer Brandon Lowe has an .877 OPS and leads offensive players in WAR. ... Oneil Cruz has 11 stolen bases and nine home runs, with an .822 OPS.
• Up next: The Pirates travel out west to face Arizona and San Francisco, then return home to meet Colorado and Philadelphia.
• When do they next face Brewers? After taking two of three from Milwaukee at American Family Field in April, they won't meet again until July 10-12 in Pittsburgh, the last three days before the all-star break.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NL Central is loaded in 2026. Here's why each team has winning record

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