Welcome to Week 20 of the 2026 NL Central Power Rankings, where the gap at the top keeps looking less like a race and more like a divide.
The Brewers are still running the show. Milwaukee sits at 74-44 after going 5-2 this week, and FanGraphs gives them a 100.0% chance to make the postseason. At home, they handled business by taking three of four from the Pirates and then winning two of three against the Twins.
Jackson Chourio powered the offense with four homers and seven walks while driving in five. Andrew Vaughn led the club with six RBIs and added a homer, and Brice Turang paced the team with eight hits while driving in five.
On the mound, Kyle Harrison delivered the week’s best start in his return from the IL, throwing five scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts before leaving because of cramps. Aaron Ashby chipped in five scoreless innings across four appearances, striking out 11, and Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, Garrett Stallings, Abner Uribe, and Bryse Wilson all posted scoreless weeks as well.
Chicago kept pace in the best way possible: by winning almost everything in sight. The Cubs went 6-1 to improve to 69-50, and FanGraphs has them at 98.9% to make the postseason. They swept the Dodgers at home, beat the Blue Jays in a makeup game on Thursday, and then took two of three from the Royals in Kansas City.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ each launched two homers, while PCA and Michael Busch - who also went deep - tied for the team lead with 10 hits apiece. Eight other Cubs also homered this week, which tells you plenty about how loud the lineup was.
On the pitching side, just about everyone got the job done except Clay Holmes. Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, and David Peterson combined to go 4-0 with 11 earned runs over 37 1/3 innings, good for a 2.65 ERA.
The bullpen held up too, with Tyler Ferguson, Ryan Rolison, Trent Thornton, Jake Woodford, and Jacob Webb all logging scoreless weeks; Webb picked up two saves.
After an off day Monday, the Cubs head to Washington for three games against the Nationals before coming home to host the Cardinals over the weekend.
Down the standings, Cincinnati had an uneven but workable week. The Reds finished 3-3, sweeping the A’s at home before getting swept by the Nationals in Washington. They’re 56-61 now, with FanGraphs giving them a 0.5% chance to reach the postseason.
Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Eugenio Suárez each hit a pair of homers, and Sal Stewart led the club with six hits, including a homer. Rhett Lowder turned in the best start, working six solid innings and allowing two runs while striking out three. In the bullpen, Pierce Johnson, Zach McCambley, Luis Mey, and Emilio Pagán combined for seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts.
Cincinnati gets Monday off before opening a three-game set with the White Sox in Chicago, then heading home to host the Marlins over the weekend.
St. Louis was one of the few teams in the division to finish above .500 this week. The Cardinals went 4-2, taking two of three from both the Yankees and Rockies to move to 59-59, with a 6.7% chance to make the postseason.
Alec Burleson was the biggest bat in the lineup, piling up five hits, four homers, a double, and seven RBIs. Iván Herrera led the team with 10 hits, including a homer and three doubles, and drove in four.
Jordan Walker, Jimmy Crooks, and Nathan Church also homered. Andre Pallante had the best outing on the mound, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run, and striking out four for the win.
Kyle Leahy and Justin Bruihl both gave the Cardinals useful starts, while Caleb Ferguson, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien each had scoreless weeks in relief. O’Brien collected three saves.
The Cardinals now host the Phillies for three games before an off day Thursday, then head to Wrigley for a weekend series with the Cubs.
Pittsburgh remains stuck in the bottom tier of the division. The Pirates went 2-5 this week, losing three of four in Milwaukee before dropping two of three to the Mets. They’re now 58-62, with an 8.2% chance to make the postseason.
Brandon Lowe and Endy Rodríguez each hit two homers, and Jake Mangum led the team with eight hits, including three doubles and a homer. Bubba Chandler was the one bright spot in the rotation, earning two wins while allowing just three runs, two earned, over 11 2/3 innings and striking out 10. In relief, Camilo Doval, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramírez, and Luke Weaver combined for 10 1/3 scoreless innings and 15 strikeouts.
The Pirates now move on to face the Reds.
In Other News...
Brewers Infield Wait Continues As Jett Williams Faces Another Setback
The Brewers infield picture remains in flux after the clubs trade with the Mets that brought in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, two pieces intended to add long-term upside to the organization. Sproat has already gotten his look in the majors this season before a trip to Triple-A, while Williams, Milwaukees No. 4 prospect, was supposed to be pushing forward after a stint on the Injured List and his recent activation.
Instead, Williams is back in the training room conversation after the wrist soreness that had slowed him flared again almost immediately. He had to leave his first game back early, and now the next step is more evaluation as hes headed to Arizona to be examined by a specialist, leaving the Brewers to wait a little longer on one of the key names from that deal. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Yoho Is Reminding Guardians Fans Why Brewers Moved On
Craig Yohos first few weeks with Cleveland have offered the kind of mixed review that can make a trade deadline move linger in the back of a front offices mind. The right-hander, originally drafted by the Brewers in 2023, has now made four appearances for the Guardians, flashing enough to justify the look while also showing why Milwaukee was willing to move on before the 2026 deadline.
In a tight postseason race, every bullpen inning gets magnified, and Yohos latest outing only sharpened the attention around him. He has shown the ability to miss bats and also the kind of inconsistency that can unravel quickly, leaving Cleveland to balance the hope of upside against the reality of a reliever still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Face Another Tough Pitching Decision After Veteran Hits Free Agency
The Brewers shuffled their pitching depth again this week, designating Bryse Wilson for assignment to create room for Lyon Richardson. Wilson had been a useful arm for Milwaukee during his latest stint, giving the club a veteran option who could step into a variety of roles when needed, but the move pushed him into a familiar roster squeeze as the Brewers continue to sort through a crowded staff picture.
Wilsons path now takes another turn, with Milwaukee left to weigh whether a reunion makes sense if the sides can work out a new deal. The Brewers have leaned on flexibility all year, and this latest decision underscores how quickly a pitcher can go from steady contributor to roster casualty, even when he has been effective in limited work. [Read more 🡒]