National League Central Preview
The smell of peanuts and Cracker Jacks are in the air, signaling the start of the MLB season.
Every team in the league has a fresh start and that is a sigh of relief to many of the teams, especially those in the National League Central.
This division may not be as flashy as the NL East or NL West, but there are a lot of teams in this division that are on the rise and have potential playoff berths in the future.
The clear No. 1 in the division is the St. Louis Cardinals. This team is still the team to beat and possesses a potent lineup and pitching staff.
Reigning NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt and perennial all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado combine to make arguably the best corner infield duo in the MLB.
In his MVP campaign, Goldschmidt had a batting average of .317, 35 home runs and 115 RBIs.
Arenado was not far behind him, posting very similar numbers, hitting .293 with 30 home runs and 103 RBIs.
The Cardinals are also adding NL Rookie of the Year favorite, Jordan Walker, who will be making his debut on Thursday.
Standing at 6-foot-5 220 pounds, Walker is a dominant right-handed hitter, posting 33 home runs in two seasons in the minors.
The clear-cut second-best team in the division is the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers return former MVP Christian Yelich, who’s posted several down seasons.
Since his MVP campaign in 2018, Yelich has struggled at the plate, posting a low batting average of .252 in 2022.
Yelich needs to be one of the main hitting catalysts if this team wants to make a run to make the postseason.
On the mound, the Brewers feature a three-headed monster of starters Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta.
In 2022, Burnes posted an ERA of 2.94, Woodruff an ERA of 3.05 and Peralta a 3.58. The former two pitchers tallied over 190 strikeouts.
With the loss of Josh Hader, Devin Williams headlines the Brewers' strong bullpen and can shut down a game with a lead in the late innings.
A dark-horse team in the division is the Chicago Cubs, who improved in almost every way from a season ago.
The Cubs improved their roster with former MVP Cody Bellinger and starting pitcher Jameson Taillon who posted a strong season with the New York Yankees.
Despite missing time at the start of the 2023 campaign with an injury, second-year outfielder Seiya Suzuki is expected to take a big step and improve upon a strong rookie season.
The Cubs will also be welcoming back power-hitter Ian Happ.
A key returnee to the Cubs lineup is 2022 all-star Ian Happ who had a career year last year and a career-high .271 batting average.
The two bottom dwellers of this division are the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds, but that does not make them uninteresting in the slightest.
The Pirates made some fascinating moves this offseason to bridge their lineup for the young prospects progressing through the minors.
They also brought back Pittsburgh fan favorite Andrew McCutchen, who was a key contributor to the Pirates' postseason run in 2013.
Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes headline a young core of players that the Pirates look to build around.
With younger prospects than the Pirates, the Reds trail the Pirates in the rebuilding process but still feature strong MLB talent.
Reds fans do have one thing to be excited about and that is the development of flamethrower Hunter Greene who shined in his rookie season.
Last season, Greene had a 4.44 ERA, but that number is expected to improve in year two.
The Reds will also be bringing back long-time star of the team, Joey Votto. Although he’s in the final years of his career, Voto can be a crucial teacher for the young group of Reds.
Ethan Bell is a sophomore majoring in Public Relations. To contact him, email epb5391@psu.edu.
