Top 10 Best Pitchers in the NL Central for the 2026 MLB Season

Many were likely surprised by how strong a division the NL Central turned out to be in 2025. Three of the six NL playoff spots ended up going to the division with the Brewers owning the best record in all of baseball.

Much of that was due to the division’s strong pitching. The Brewers, Cubs, Reds, and Pirates all finished in the top half of the league in staff ERA while even the Cardinals could’ve been worse being ranked 21st.

Some No. 3 and No. 4 starters in the division could legitimately be No. 2 starters on some teams in other divisions. That makes picking a list of the top pitchers in this division that much harder.

Still, we’re here to give it a shot. Let’s dig in and go rank the top ten pitchers in the NL Central division.

Who Just Missed the Top 10

Cincinnati Reds – Hunter Greene

Hunter Greene certainly didn’t miss out on the top 10 due to lack of ability. The Reds flamethrower has really come into his own the last two years, going 16-9 and pitching to a 2.76 ERA with a 0.984 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 over 45 games while making his first All-Star Game.

Unfortunately, as they say, the best ability is availability, and Greene has spent time fighting off the injury bug. He made just 19 starts last year and will be out for 14-16 weeks after having bone chips removed from his elbow.

Chicago Cubs – Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga

The Cubs had just one player make the top-10 list, the fewest in the division outside of the Cardinals, who were shut out. However, the fact that they have three more arms receive honorable mention, all starting pitchers, speaks to how strong the team’s rotation is set to be this season.

Cade Horton had a phenomenal start to his career in 2025, going 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 1.085 WHIP in 23 appearances (22 starts). That performance earned him a runner up finish in the NL Rookie of the Year race as he received nine first place votes out of 30.

The newcomer to the rotation, Edward Cabrera comes to Chicago after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Marlins. He had one of the better seasons of his career in 2025, going 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 starts.

Shota Imanaga started to struggle in the final month of the season and the playoffs, but he was one of the better pitchers in the league through the end of August. He ultimately finished the year with a 9-8 record, 3.73 ERA, and 0.988 WHIP across 25 starts.

10. Abner Uribe, Milwaukee Brewers

2025 Stats: 75 G, 75.1 IP, 1.67 ERA, 2.75 FIP, 1.04 WHIP, 10.75 K/9, 3.23 BB/9

While this list is almost entirely comprised of starting pitchers, one bullpen arm did manage to sneak his way on. Abner Uribe, high-leverage reliever and fill-in closer for the Brewers, became one of the top relief pitchers in the league, let alone the NL Central, last year.

After pitching in only 14 games in 2024 for multiple reasons including a short suspension after a scuffle with the Rays’ Jose Siri, a demotion, and a hacky-sack injury, Uribe blossomed in 2025. He finished tied for seventh in MLB in appearances and third among all qualified relievers in ERA.

The Brewers have enough faith in Uribe that they toyed with the idea of moving primary closer Trevor Megill in the offseason. That didn’t come to fruition, so Uribe will again be one of MLB’s most feared setup men in 2026 and help lead one of the top bullpens in the league.

9. Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers

2025 Stats: 14 GS, 66 IP, 4.36 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.62 FIP, 11.86 K/9, 4.23 BB/9

Coming into 2025, many evaluators still weren’t sold on whether or not Jacob Misiorowski would be a starter or reliever once he broke into the league. That question was finally answered in a big way last year.

After a solid start to the season, “The Miz” made his MLB debut on June 12, striking out five and walking four over six hitless, scoreless innings and earning his first MLB win. The beginning of his career was so good that he made the All-Star Game after just five career starts.

His next big achievement comes in just a few days as he has been named the Opening Day starter for the Brewers, the third-youngest in franchise history. It certainly won’t be his last honor, as he’s set to be a staple of the team’s rotation for years to come.

8. Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh Pirates

2025 Stats: 4 GS, 31.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 8.90 K/9, 1.15 BB/9

Speaking of young pitchers who made their debut last year, Bubba Chandler, Just Baseball’s No. 12 overall MLB prospect, also saw playing time for the first time in 2025. He didn’t see quite the same success as Misiorowski, but it shouldn’t be long before he does.

Chandler has pretty much shown what he needs to show in the minors since being drafted in the third round by the Pirates back in 2021. Across all levels, he has a 26-18 record, 3.73 ERA, and 11.1 K/9 across 89 career minor-league games.

The 23-year-old bounced between the rotation and bullpen in his cup of coffee last year, and though he was average to below average in hard-hit metrics, he was generally well above average in other underlying metrics like chase, whiff, and ground-ball rates. That’ll play as he sees the mound more in 2026.

7. Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates

2025 Stats: 32 GS, 176.1 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 4.02 FIP, 7.66 K/9, 2.60 BB/9

When it comes to the Pirates’ rotation, most of the talk surrounds the team’s young pitching studs like Chandler, ace Paul Skenes, and even the injured Jared Jones. But don’t forget about one of the team’s pitching veterans, right-hander Mitch Keller.

At 29 years old, Keller has already pitched in parts of seven seasons with the Pirates, who drafted him in the second round of the 2014 draft. Pitching in Pittsburgh means some lean years, but he has stuck it out, earning an All-Star nod in 2023 and closing in on 1,000 innings pitched with the team.

The Statcast metrics don’t always look the prettiest for Keller. Regardless, he’s averaged a 4.15 ERA and compiled 10.0 fWAR over the last four seasons and been a consistent contributor, making at least 29 starts in all of those seasons. He’s also become a decent ground-ball pitcher, finishing in the 61st percentile or better in three of the last four years.

6. Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds

2025 Stats: 28 GS, 156.2 IP, 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.81 FIP, 8.96 K/9, 1.78 BB/9

After a very promising 2022 rookie year, former seventh-overall pick Nick Lodolo saw his ascent to glory take a pause in 2023. That year, a stress reaction in his left tibia limited him to just seven starts.

It took some time to get fully back on track, but 2025 saw the 28-year-old finally show that early promise once again. Though strikeout numbers are down a bit from his rookie year, he set career highs in virtually every other statistical category en route to the team’s first playoff appearance since 2020.

The Reds will need Lodolo to repeat that performance in 2026. Not only is the aforementioned Greene out for a huge chunk of the season but Nick Martinez, who made 26 starts last year, is now in Tampa with the Rays.

5. Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds

2025 Stats: 13 G, 8 GS, 43.1 IP, 4.57 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 2.65 FIP, 13.92 K/9, 4.19 BB/9

As Lodolo continues to come into his own, the Reds have yet another young pitcher who looks like he could emerge into a star. His name is Chase Burns and he might actually be the highest-octane pitcher in the entire division.

The former second-overall pick just a couple years ago made his MLB debut last summer at age 22. While the ERA was high, underlying metrics looked better and his 13.92 K/9 was third highest in MLB for anyone who pitched at least 40 innings.

Burns threw 66 pitches over 100 mph, which was 16th most in MLB in 2025. That’s not too shabby considering he only threw 43.1 innings in his rookie season. Expect many more fireworks in Cincinnati here in 2026.

4. Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

2025 Stats: 12 GS, 64.2 IP, 3.20 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 11.55 K/9, 1.95 BB/9

Fans haven’t gotten to see much of Brandon Woodruff the last few years as he’s made just 23 starts over the last three seasons due to a couple different injuries. When he has been on the mound, however, he’s been one of the best starters in all of baseball for years now.

Since making his debut back in 2017, Woodruff has compiled a 3.14 ERA across 718.1 innings as a starter. That’s the 10th-best mark in all of MLB for pitchers who have thrown at least 700 innings over that timeframe.

Woodruff might not quite be ready for Opening Day as he makes his way back from his most recent injury, but he shouldn’t be far off. If he can get anywhere near back to full strength, he’s bound to be one of the top pitchers in the league once again.

3. Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs

2025 Stats: 31 GS, 179.2 IP, 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.65 FIP, 7.71 K/9, 2.10 BB/9

Matthew Boyd’s journey to 2025 Cubs ace has been anything from easy. From rough years coming up with the Tigers to appearing in just 48 games over four seasons from 2021-24, he finally had the best season of his career in 2025, his 11th season in the league.

After showing promise late in the 2024 season when he returned from injury with the Guardians, the Cubs brought him in to be a member of their rotation last season. Boyd responded with an All-Star campaign and was selected to participate in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA this spring.

Boyd has succeeded by doing what a lot of pitchers have to do when they hit their mid-30s: limit mistakes and hard contact. His hard-hit rate (38%) and average exit velocity (88.5 mph) were both in the 69th percentile in 2025 while his walk rate (5.8%) was in the 86th percentile.

2. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds

2025 Stats: 29 GS, 166.1 IP, 2.87 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.66 FIP, 8.06 K/9, 2.33 BB/9

The Reds had one of the best groups of starters in all of MLB in 2025, finishing ninth with a combined 3.85 ERA and second with a combined 16.1 fWAR. Leading the way for the team in the latter category was the southpaw, Andrew Abbott.

Abbott has been a steady presence in the Reds rotation since making his debut in 2023. He’s made 75 starts for the team in that time, compiling a 28-23 record and a 3.42 ERA. Last year was a career year as he set personal bests in ERA, WHIP, walk rate, and fWAR.

He also made the first All-Star Game of his career and finished eighth in NL Cy Young voting. With Greene starting the season on the IL, Abbott will be the undisputed ace for Cincinnati and will be expected to lead the way until his rotation mate returns later in the season.

1. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

2025 Stats: 32 GS, 187.2 IP, 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.36 FIP, 10.36 K/9, 2.01 BB/9

Let’s be honest, the list of the top ten pitchers in the NL Central is really just the race for second place. Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes is not only obviously the top pitcher in the division, he might just be the best pitcher in all of baseball.

Skenes burst onto the scene in 2024, making the All-Star game, easily taking the NL Rookie of the Year award, and even finishing third in NL Cy Young voting after having just been drafted first overall in 2023. He somehow got even better last year, unanimously winning the NL Cy Young and finishing sixth for NL MVP.

Skenes was also a dominant force for Team USA in the WBC this spring, giving up just a run on seven hits and a walk with nine strikeouts in 8.1 innings and winning both of his starts, one over Mexico and the other over the fearsome Dominican Republic. He’s been everything he was expected to be and more and might just lead the Pirates, not to mention MLB, into a new era.