The Milwaukee Brewers are setting their sights on a fourth-straight division title as the 2025 season kicks off. But in the fiercely competitive NL Central, where three teams made the postseason last year, it's never a walk in the park.
The St. Louis Cardinals might be in a rare rebuild phase, but don't sleep on the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Cincinnati Reds.
The Pirates are no longer the easy wins they once were, and the Reds are bringing back a young, talented roster that snagged a Wild Card spot last season.
The real showdown, however, seems to be between the Brewers and the Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee has been the division's top dog for the past three years, while the Cubs have been consistently right behind them in second place.
In 2023 and 2024, the Brewers finished comfortably ahead, but last year, the gap closed to just five games, with Milwaukee leading the MLB with 97 wins. The Brewers further asserted their dominance by defeating the Cubs in a thrilling five-game National League Division Series.
The offseason saw familiar strategies from both teams. The Brewers traded away All-Star Freddy Peralta to balance their roster, a move reminiscent of last year's trade of All-Star Devin Williams.
Meanwhile, the Cubs bolstered their lineup by adding All-Star Alex Bregman, echoing their previous acquisition of Kyle Tucker. These moves have many predicting a shift in power, with the Cubs potentially taking the NL Central crown in 2026.
FanSided.com's latest MLB power rankings reflect this sentiment, placing the Cubs at No. 2 and the Brewers at No. 7. Despite Milwaukee finishing the 2025 season with the best record in baseball, a No. 7 ranking is quite generous compared to other publications, which see them more in the middle of the pack for 2026.
The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh off back-to-back World Series wins, unsurprisingly hold the top spot in FanSided's rankings. Following the Cubs are the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, New York Mets, and Seattle Mariners, leading up to the Brewers at No.
- The Blue Jays and Mariners earned their spots with strong performances last year, and the Yankees' roster is too loaded to ignore.
The Mets, however, are a more contentious choice at No. 5, given their late-season collapse in 2025 and significant roster changes, including losing Pete Alonso but gaining Peralta and Bo Bichette.
One thing's for sure: the NL Central is set for a fierce battle. With the Cubs and Brewers both in the top seven, every matchup at American Family Field and Wrigley Field will be crucial. This rivalry, already spiced up by Milwaukee's postseason triumph, is poised to deliver another thrilling chapter in 2026.