What Happened in 2025:
A year ago, the Milwaukee Brewers were just as consistent as ever. They clinched their third straight NL Central title and have one of the most talented, young rosters in all of baseball. Milwaukee finished the season five games better than the Cubs. They are once again the favorites to win a fourth straight. While Chicago had an improved season, they finished second and knocked the Padres out of the Wild Card series before losing to the Brewers in the NLDS. The Reds managed to finish over .500 while the Pirates and Cardinals were embarrassing for most of the season.
Best Players to Watch:
Brewers – Brice Turang – Turang became more of a name as he played for Team USA in the WBC but hit .288 last season with 18 bombs as he becomes one of the best second baseman in the league.
Cubs – Pete Crow-Armstrong – PCA burst onto the scene a year ago after being traded from the Mets to the Cubs. He hit 31 home runs and added 95 runs batted in as he looks to hit for more average and continue as a star.
Pirates – Paul Skenes – He now has a Rookie of the Year award and a Cy Young on his trophy shelf. Skenes is the most dominant and exciting pitcher in all of baseball.
Reds – Elly De La Cruz – He is one of the most complete baseball players in the league. He stole nearly 40 bags last season and hit over 20 home runs, what can’t he do?
Cardinals – JJ Wetherholt – The Cards are in a full rebuild. So get used to this guy’s name. Wetherholt is just 23 and a Top 5 prospect and will get plenty of reps this season.
Bigest Addition and Subtraction:
Addition: The Cubs made a huge splash by signing Alex Bregman to add a veteran to their lineup who can truly mentor a couple of their young stars. Injuries hurt Bregman in his lone season in Boston, but the Cubs still handed him a bag.
Subtraction: The two major subtractions are Kyle Tucker who left the Cubs in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, shocker. The Brewers also were aggressive in trading Freddy Peralta to the Mets to restock their farm system and continue developing pitchers.
Division Winner:
Milwaukee Brewers: 96-66 – The Brewers are going to win a fourth straight title. They have an explosive lineup and have the pitching to make a run. The question becomes, can they finally get out of the pennant and back t