NL Central Power Rankings and Preview for 2025

The NL Central is wide-open heading into 2025. But while no team is the clear-cut favorite to take home the crown, there are plenty of intriguing teams and storylines to follow within this division.

The Milwaukee Brewers were NL Central champions in 2024 for the second straight year and the third time in the last four seasons. However, while they’ve been nothing short of dominant in recent regular seasons, it’s always difficult to formulate expectations for the Crew.

They’re a team that tends to sell off their top talent (as they did with Devin Williams this past offseason and Corbin Burnes the winter before) in order to improve their roster within the margins. It’s been a successful winning formula, but it could also leave the door open for another team to catch them in the standings.

The Chicago Cubs missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive year in 2024, and they have yet to win a playoff series since 2017. It’s a new era of baseball in Chicago, however, and with a new superstar in the outfield, the Cubs appear primed to finally break out of their recent stretch of mediocrity and get over the hump in 2025.

Then there are teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals, who have been perpetual playoff contenders for the majority of the past two decades but failed to improve their roster in any way this offseason, and the Cincinnati Reds, who are an exciting, young team poised to take a leap forward with a new manager leading the way.

Even the Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most intriguing group of starters in Major League Baseball with some of the game’s top pitching prospects soon to be making their MLB debut. They’ve been near the bottom of the division standings for nearly a decade, but there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel as they emerge from their rebuild.

This might not be as prolific of a division as the NL East or NL West, but it’s a division that features some of the brightest young stars that the game has to offer with players like Paul Skenes, Elly De La Cruz, and Jackson Chourio.

The NL Central is truly up for grabs heading into 2025, and it will be a fascinating division to cover all season long.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

2024 Record: 76-86, Finished Last in NL Central

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Andrew McCutchen, DH

2. Bryan Reynolds, RF

3. Oneil Cruz, CF

4. Joey Bart, C

5. Nick Gonzales, 2B

6. DJ Stewart/Jared Triolo, 1B

7. Ke’Bryan Hayes, 3B

8. Tommy Pham, LF

9. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS

Notable IL: 1B Spencer Horwitz

Frankly, the Pirates’ offense isn’t expected to be any good in 2025. There are some intriguing players near the top of the lineup, but the back half of the batting order really lacks upside.

Andrew McCutchen is back to occupy the DH role in 2025. Cutch has been sneaky productive across his past two seasons in Pittsburgh, accumulating 32 homers while slashing .243/.352/.405 with a 110 wRC+. The Pirates legend will look to keep that production going in his age-38 season.

Bryan Reynolds is a model of consistency offensively, hitting 24 homers in three of his last four seasons (he had 27 in 2022). He’s also finished with a wRC+ of 109 or higher in four consecutive seasons for the Pirates.

He’s no longer the 6.3-win player he once was in 2021, but that’s in large part because of his substantial decline in defensive ability. However, his reliability at the plate is valuable at the top of the lineup. Fans can expect to see more of the same from Reynolds in 2025.

Oneil Cruz is still the most talented player in this lineup, and he will be a fun watch each time he steps inside the batter’s box. In his first full big league season last year, Cruz hit 21 bombs with a .259 batting average to go with a 110 wRC+.

It feels as if there’s still some untapped potential with Cruz, specifically in the power department, and perhaps a transition to center field will unlock a new level in his ability. It’ll be fun to watch him continue his maturation in his age-26 season.

From there this lineup gets a bit more dicey, as there’s not a whole lot to get excited about in the back half of this lineup. Nick Gonzales has been good in spurts for the Pirates, but injuries and inconsistency have prevented him from building any momentum at the big league level.

Fans have been clamoring for a Ke’Bryan Hayes breakout offensively for years now, but instead he put up a putrid year at the plate last season that included just four homers, a .573 OPS, and a 59 wRC+ in 396 plate appearances. Unfortunately, we may have already seen the best of Hayes’ ability at the plate.

Newly-acquired Spencer Horwitz will provide some offensive intrigue when he eventually returns from his wrist injury. Horwitz was acquired from the Blue Jays back in December and has an offensive profile that Pirates fans can get excited about.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Endy Rodríguez, UTL Adam Frazier, OF Jack Suwinski

Endy Rodríguez still has the makings of being the catcher of the future for the Pirates. He’s back from the elbow injury that he suffered last offseason, and he and Joey Bart will primarily handle the catching duties in 2025. Rodríguez will be a fun player to watch as he works his way back into big league action.

Jack Suwinski followed up his encouraging 2023 campaign (26 homers, .230 ISO, 112 wRC+) with a poor year at the plate last season. Suwinski hit just .182 with nine homers and a 62 wRC+ in 88 games. He’ll look to get back to the righty-masher he once was in 2023 and at least be a serviceable platoon option for the Pirates this season.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. RHP Paul Skenes

2. RHP Mitch Keller

3. RHP Jared Jones

4. LHP Andrew Heaney

5. LHP Bailey Falter

Notable IL: RHP Johan Oviedo

Now we move to easily the most intriguing part of the entire roster for the Pirates.

Paul Skenes has already established himself as arguably the best pitcher in the entire sport and heads into 2025 as the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award. The trio at the top of Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Jared Jones creates a very strong three-headed monster for Pittsburgh.

Jones burst onto the scene with some elite strikeout material in 2024. Assuming he’s healthy (he was recently sidelined with elbow soreness and will miss his next spring training start), he and Skenes at the top of the rotation is as electric of a duo as any heading into 2025.

Veteran Andrew Heaney, who signed with the Pirates this offseason, and southpaw Bailey Falter will help provide reliable innings at the back of the rotation until the organization’s top pitching prospects — Bubba Chandler (JB’s No. 20 overall prospect) and Thomas Harrington (JB’s No. 78 overall prospect)— are ready to make their way into the big league rotation.

There’s so much talent to dream on in this rotation, and it’s this group of starters that will make the Pirates an exciting watch regardless of how their offense performs in 2025.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. RHP David Bednar

2. RHP Colin Holderman

3. RHP Dennis Santana

4. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski

5. LHP Caleb Ferguson

6. RHP Justin Lawrence

7. LHP Tim Mayza

8. LHP Joey Wentz

Notable IL: RHP Dauri Moreta

David Bednar will look to bounce back from an unusual down year in 2024; He had three consecutive seasons from 2021-’23 with an ERA south of 2.70, but he ended the 2024 season with a whopping 5.77 ERA after several blowup outings. He will look to get back on track and return to the version many fans were accustomed to seeing prior to 2024.

Dennis Santana and Colin Holderman led Pittsburgh’s bullpen in ERA last season (2.44 and 3.16, respectively), and they will once again hold key roles in 2025. Carmen Mlodzinski has flashed some exciting stuff with a diverse arsenal across his first two big league seasons as well, pitching to a 2.91 ERA across 86.2 career big league innings.

Those are fine options to bridge to Debnar in the ninth inning. The Pirates also added Caleb Ferguson (free agent), Justin Lawrence (waiver claim), Tim Mayza (free agent) into the mix to round out the bottom of the bullpen.

Outlook

The Pirates bolster one of the most exciting starting rotations in the sport. It’s an enticing blend of budding young stars and reliable veteran arms, and it’s a group of starters that will give them a chance to rack up some wins in 2025.

However, their inability to capitalize on that impressive rotation by failing to make any impactful additions to the lineup this winter puts a cap on their overall ceiling in 2025. As a result, it’s an offense that is once again expected to be near the bottom of the league this coming year.

There are certainly some exciting names to watch on this roster, and their starting rotation will keep them in games, but overall the Pirates are still a tier behind the other teams in this division heading into 2025.

4. St. Louis Cardinals

2024 Record: 83-79, Finished tied for 2nd in NL Central

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Masyn Winn, SS

2. Lars Nootbar, LF

3. Willson Contreras, 1B

4. Nolan Arenado, 3B

5. Brendan Donovan, 2B

6. Iván Herrera, C

7. Alec Burleson/Luken Baker, DH

8. Jordan Walker, RF

9. Victor Scott II, CF

Notable IL:

The vast majority of this lineup will look a lot like it did in 2024, for better or worse. The Cardinals’ offense finished 18th in MLB in wRC+ last season (98) and 21st in fWAR (16.9), but there’s reason to believe they can be better in 2025.

Masyn Winn showed a lot of promise last season, and his performance was a substantial step forward from what we saw back in 2023. He chased less than 20% of the time, launched 15 homers, and provided strong defense at a premier position. He’s emerged as a building block in this lineup.

Willson Contreras‘ move to first base is also significant, as it not only allows him to get out from behind the dish and preserve his legs a bit more, but it also paves the way for Iván Herrera to take over at catcher.

Contreras only played in 84 games last season after suffering fractures to both his forearm and finger. However, when he was on the field he was terrific, slashing .262/.380/.468 with 15 homers and a 140 wRC+. Contreras has never ended a year with a wRC+ below 100, and he’s finished with an isolated power of .200 or greater in each of his last four seasons.

Herrera takes over at catcher, and he is a clear breakout candidate for 2025. He’s demonstrated an ability to hit at a high level, batting over .300 with a .351 wOBA and 127 wRC+ in 259 big league plate appearances last season. He’s expected to grow his game even more this coming season in a full-time role behind the plate.

ZiPS projections are particularly optimistic on Lars Nootbar and Brendan Donovan, and former top prospect Jordan Walker will look to return to the type of hitter he was when he climbed through the minors. Also, a reminder that Walker will still be just 22 years old until May.

It’s yet to be seen if Nolan Arenado‘s trend of declining offensive performance will continue in 2025, or if he will get back to being the hitter he’s been for the vast majority of his career. Regardless, even if he can be an above-average hitter at the plate, this is a lineup that should see better results this season.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Pedro Pagés, INF Nolan Gorman, INF/OF Jose Barrero

The Cardinals’ bench depth is rather thin. Jose Barrero currently has the edge to break camp due to his positional versatility, and Luken Baker should be a fine platoon option off the bench. However, the most noteworthy name among this group is Nolan Gorman.

Gorman will look to tame his 37.6% strikeout rate from a season ago and bounce back from his dreadful year at the plate. Still, he’s plenty talented, and we have seen what kind of impact he can make with the bat when he’s not striking out nearly 40% of the time.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. RHP Sonny Gray

2. RHP Erick Fedde

3. RHP Miles Mikolas

4. RHP Andre Pallante

5. LHP Steven Matz

Of course, Sonny Gray is the ace of the staff and continues to be successful on the mound. It may not look like it from his ERA that ballooned to 3.84, but his peripherals were encouraging. He upped his K/9 to 10.98 — which was his highest mark since 2020 — and lowered his walk rate to a career-low 5.8%.

In fact, Gray’s xFIP, which takes his FIP and normalizes the home run rate, of 2.82 was the second best in MLB last season.

Erick Fedde put together an impressive 2024 campaign, pitching to a 3.30 ERA and racking up 3.4 fWAR after spending 2023 in the KBO. He’ll be a free agent at seasons’ end, and if he can continue with his success from a season ago, he could find himself in trade talks at the deadline for the second season in a row.

Miles Mikolas is a lock for the rotation, but he’s nothing more than an innings-eater at this point in his career. He’s been very available, making at least 32 starts across his three most recent seasons and averaging 187 innings per season over that stretch, but his ERA rose from 3.29 in 2022 to 4.78 in 2023, and then once again rose to 5.35 last season. That was the second-highest ERA in baseball among qualified starters.

As was the theme with the previous two teams discussed, there is a new wave of arms gearing up to take over at the major league level.

Headlined by Quinn Matthews (JB’s No. 32 overall prospect) and Tink Hence (JB’s No. 76 overall prospect), the Cardinals’ rotation on Opening Day could look a lot different than the one they’re rolling out in September.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. RHP Ryan Helsley

2. LHP JoJo Romero

3. RHP Phil Maton

4. RHP Ryan Fernandez

5. LHP John King

6. RHP Chris Roycroft

7. RHP Kyle Leahy

8. LHP Matthew Liberatore

Notable IL: LHP Zack Thompson

Ryan Helsley led MLB in saves last season with 49 while also pitching to a stellar 2.04 ERA. Dating back to the beginning of the 2022 season, Helsley is third among all qualified MLB relievers with an ERA of 1.83.

Set to hit the open market at the end of the year, Helsley will be a hot commodity at the trade deadline if the Cardinals aren’t in contention this summer.

Matthew Liberatore will be on the big league staff one way or another come Opening Day. He’s in consideration for a spot in the rotation, but there’s a good chance he finds himself in the bullpen throughout times this season. He’s fared far better as a reliever rather than a starter throughout his big league career, and he could be valuable in bulk work for the Cardinals.

They have a handful of arms to deploy in high-leverage situations as well. John King pitched to a 2.85 ERA in 60 innings last season, and Ryan Fernandez, JoJo Romero, and newly-acquired Phil Maton all pitched to a low-to-mid 3.00s ERA in 2024.

Outlook

The Cardinals were essentially dormant this winter. Their first big league signing of the winter didn’t come until March 13 when they inked Maton to a one-year contract. Given that they made essentially no effort to improve their big league roster this offseason, a leap in the standings appears rather unlikely for St. Louis.

There’s still a fine amount of talent in their lineup, and they have some intriguing young arms who could blossom in the starting rotation. But heading into 2025, they don’t have as encouraging of an outlook as the teams ahead of them on this list.

3. Cincinnati Reds

2024 Record: 77-85, Finished 4th in NL Central

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. TJ Friedl, CF

2. Matt McLain, 2B

3. Elly De La Cruz, SS

4. Jeimer Candelario, 1B

5. Gavin Lux/Santiago Espinal, 3B

6. Austin Hays, LF

7. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, DH

8. Jake Fraley/Stuart Fairchild, RF

9. Jose Trevino, C

Notable IL: C Tyler Stephenson, INF/OF Spencer Steer

This Reds lineup may look fairly similar to the one from a season ago that greatly underachieved expectations, but there’s reason to believe that better days are ahead for this offense.

TJ Friedl put up nearly a 4.0-win season back in 2023 thanks to his strong approach and good defense in center field. Set to build upon that success heading into 2024, Friedl suffered a wrist fracture just before the season began, which was then followed by a broken thumb shortly after his return in mid-May and a hamstring strain in June.

Now fully healthy, it’s fair to expect something closer to what we saw from Friedl two seasons ago.

Matt McLain lost the entirety of the 2024 season to a shoulder injury he too suffered right before the season began. But back in 2023, we got a glimpse of what McLain is capable of. He was a .290 hitter with an OPS north of .860 and ended the year with a 127 wRC+. He changes the dynamic of this lineup, he enters the 2025 season with lofty expectations.

To stick with the theme of injuries impacting the Reds’ lineup last season, Christian Encarnacion-Strand played just 29 games before missing the rest of the season with a right ulnar styloid fracture.

But don’t forget how much potential Encarnacion-Strand carries in his bat when healthy. Back in 2023, he hit .270 while launching 13 homers in just 63 games. Still just 25 years old, Encarnacion-Strand has room to take a stride forward offensively this season and has a very important role in providing length for this lineup.

Most importantly, though, few players in the game have more star power than Elly De La Cruz. After putting up a 6.4 fWAR last season and taking a significant stride forward at the plate (as well as stealing nearly 70 bases), the 23-year-old will look to take an even larger step forward in 2025.

In order for this offense to be better in 2025, many of their hitters will need to put together bounce-back seasons at the plate. However, given the potential we’ve seen from this group of hitters throughout stretches, there’s reason to believe this offense can be far better this season than it was in 2024.

Notable Depth/Bench

3B Noelvi Marte, OF Blake Dunn, OF Will Benson, C Austin Wynns

Former top prospect Noelvi Marte will start the year in Triple-A, but the 23-year-old still has the potential to take over at the hot corner for this team long-term. Of course, he’ll need to reset and earn his spot on the big league roster, but starting from scratch in 2025 should do Marte some good.

Also starting the year with Triple-A Louisville is Will Benson, who is entering a pivotal year and is in dire need of increasing his stock. In the meantime, Blake Dunn will likely rotate through the outfield as a depth option off the bench.

Austin Wynns and Jose Trevino will handle catching duties until Tyler Stephenson returns from his oblique injury.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. RHP Hunter Greene

2. RHP Brady Singer

3. LHP Nick Lodolo

4. RHP Nick Martinez

5. LHP Andrew Abbott

6. RHP Carson Spiers

Notable IL: RHP Rhett Lowder

The Reds’ starting rotation is plenty deep, and it helps that they have a star leading the way at the top.

Hunter Greene ascended into an ace last season, ending the year with a 2.75 ERA while striking out more than 10 hitters per nine innings. He was the only Reds pitcher to go over 150 innings last year (150.1), and he established himself as the young anchor of the rotation.

As just mentioned, the Reds didn’t get a lot of innings out of their starters in 2024, and that’s where Brady Singer will provide value this season. Singer has thrown at least 150 innings in each of his last three seasons, including a 2024 campaign in which he tossed 179.2 innings to a 3.71 ERA. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly what the Reds need.

Nick Lodolo, when healthy, still has plenty of potential to dream on, and Nick Martinez is coming off a year in which he threw to a career-best 3.10 ERA in 142.1 innings.

Andrew Abbott‘s status for Opening Day remains iffy, but he’ll factor in at some point in 2025. If he does not break camp in the rotation, Carson Spiers is in line to grab the final spot in the rotation. The righty has pitched well this spring, striking out 10 in as many innings to go with a 2.70 ERA.

Similar to the Pirates, Cincinnati has their top-two pitching prospects knocking on the door at the big league level.

Chase Burns, JB’s No. 35 overall prospect, is trending towards making his MLB debut this season, while Rhett Lowder, JB’s No. 57 overall prospect, should be up once he recovers from his elbow soreness. Lowder pitched to a 1.17 ERA in six big league starts (30.2 IP) at the tail end of 2024.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. RHP Alexis Díaz

2. LHP Taylor Rogers

3. RHP Emilio Pagán

4.LHP Sam Moll

5. RHP Tony Santillan

6. LHP Brent Suter

7. RHP Scott Barlow

8. RHP Graham Ashcraft

Other than Scott Barlow (free agent) and Taylor Rogers, who Cincinnati traded for to serve as another lefty to pitch in high-leverage situations, there will be a lot of familiar names in this bullpen.

Alexis Díaz will look to bounce back from a year in which his ERA rose to a career-high 3.99 ERA and his strikeout rate dropped by nearly eight percent. He still finished fifth in the NL in saves (28), however, and he saw better results in the second half of the season.

Moreover, Graham Ashcraft could get work as a starter if needed, but the Reds could be looking to utilize him in more of a bullpen role in 2025.

Ashcraft has only been a starter throughout his three big league seasons, but he has an arsenal that could play well out of the bullpen. He primarily leans upon a cutter/slider combination, and he keeps the ball on the ground at an effective rate — something that’s valued in a hitter-friendly stadium like Great American Ball Park.

Outlook

The Reds are a popular pick to see a nice bump in win total in 2025, and it’s easy to see why when looking at their roster.

Additionally, bringing in Terry Francona to lead this team was a significant and necessary move to improve the outlook of this ball club. He was easily the biggest addition the organization made this winter.

While they’re banking on several rebound seasons from many of their hitters, this is a ball club that appears poised to take a step forward in 2025. They’re trending in the right direction, and they at least made some attempt to see improved results this season. That puts them ahead of St. Louis in these power rankings.

However, until we see it play out, they are still a tier below the Cubs and Brewers heading into 2025.

2. Chicago Cubs

2024 Record: 83-79, Finished tied for 2nd in NL Central

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Ian Happ, LF

2. Seiya Suzuki, DH

3. Kyle Tucker, RF

4. Michael Busch, 1B

5. Matt Shaw, 3B

6. Dansby Swanson, SS

7. Nico Hoerner, 2B

8. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF

9. Miguel Amaya, C

From top to bottom, Chicago’s lineup has plenty of intrigue. The Cubs lacked a true impact bat in the middle of the lineup last season, so adding superstar Kyle Tucker to the heart of the order could help take this offense to a whole new level.

Ian Happ continues to be one of the most reliable and steady outfielders in MLB. He’s had a 120 wRC+ in each of his last three seasons, and 2024 marked the third consecutive year in which he’s finished with an fWAR of 3.5 of higher. He is the model of stability at the top of the Cubs’ lineup.

Seiya Suzuki has been awesome when on the field. Two different oblique strains caused him to miss some time in 2023 and 2024, but the 30-year-old put up back-to-back seasons with an OPS north of .840 in 2023-’24. He’s a consistent threat for 20-plus homers and is also capable of hitting for a high average (Suzuki hit .285 in 2023 and then .283 in 2024).

Michael Busch and Matt Shaw (JB’s No. 12 overall prospect) create a duo of intriguing bats in the heart of Chicago’s lineup.

Busch slashed .248/.335/.440 with a 119 wRC+ in his first big league season last year with the Cubs and has room for growth in 2025. Likewise, Chicago has the utmost faith in Shaw to hold down third base, as they paved the way for the 23-year-old to be a key contributor in a year in which they have World Series aspirations.

To round out the lineup, Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of baseball’s top breakout candidates heading into the new season, and the Cubs will once again have one of the more reliable duos up the middle of the infield in Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner.

Hoerner didn’t travel with the team for the Tokyo series as he rehabs from his offseason forearm surgery, but there’s still a chance for him to be ready for the organization’s domestic Opening Day on March 27.

This is a deep lineup that has much more pop now with Tucker in the heart of it, and it’s an offense that should take a step forward from its 101 wRC+ (14th in MLB) from a season ago.

Notable Depth/Bench

INF Jon Berti, C Carson Kelly, INF Justin Turner, INF/OF Vidal Bruján

Jon Berti has been the interim second baseman while Hoerner is sidelined, but upon Hoerner’s return he will fall back into a bench role for the 2025 season.

Justin Turner, who the organization brought in on a one-year deal back in February, will serve as a veteran presence and a valuable bench bat who can cycle through the corner infield positions.

The catcher position is the weak spot in the lineup, as Carson Kelly, who signed a two-year deal with the Cubs this offseason, will split time at the position with Miguel Amaya to keep each player fresh.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. LHP Shota Imanaga

2. LHP Justin Steele

3. RHP Jameson Taillon

4. LHP Matthew Boyd

5. RHP Colin Rea

6. LHP Jordan Wicks/ RHP Ben Brown

Notable IL: RHP Javier Assad

Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele create a solid one-two punch at the top of the starting rotation.

Imanaga was terrific in his first season in MLB after coming over from NPB, throwing just over 173 innings at a 2.91 ERA (third-best ERA among qualified starters in the NL). Steele was bogged down by a hamstring injury early in the year, but he still put together a successful year on the mound. He followed up his 3.06 ERA from 2023 with a very similar mark of 3.07 last season.

The newly-acquired Matthew Boyd, who put up a 2.72 ERA in eight starts with the Cleveland Guardians last season, and Jameson Taillon, who dropped his ERA by over a run and a half from 2023, plug into the middle of the rotation to create a steady top four in the rotation.

Free agent Colin Rea and youngsters Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown will round out the bottom of the rotation. Rea was a reliable and consistent option in Milwaukee’s rotation across the past two seasons, and both Brown and Wicks have shown intrigue as a big league starter throughout their young careers.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. RHP Ryan Pressly

2. RHP Porter Hodge

3. RHP Ryan Brasier

4. RHP Tyson Miller

5. RHP Nate Pearson

6. LHP Caleb Thielbar

7. RHP Eli Morgan

8. RHP Julian Merryweather

The Cubs have a handful of fresh faces in the bullpen, and they have several strong options to turn to at the tail end of games.

Additions include Ryan Pressly (trade), Ryan Brasier (trade), Caleb Thielbar (free agent), and Eli Morgan (trade). Pressly will get the brunt of the closer opportunities in 2025, but Brasier, Thielbar, and Morgan are capable of pitching in high-leverage situations as well.

Porter Hodge was terrific for the Cubs down the stretch last season, pitching to a sub-2.00 ERA in 43 innings, and Tyson Miller had newfound success since coming over from the Mariners via trade last May. Miller pitched to a 2.15 ERA in 49 appearances with the Cubs last season.

This has the makings of being one of Chicago’s stronger relief units in recent years.

Outlook

Headlined by the addition of Tucker, the Cubs put together a strong offseason with the hopes of making it back to the postseason in 2025.

Even beyond Tucker, they made some valuable additions to the back-end of their starting rotation, which should be good enough to compete for a division title, and they made some necessary improvements to their bullpen that figures to be improved from a season ago.

They still come in at No. 2 on this list, but the Cubs have the pieces to dethrone the Brewers at the top of the division standings.

1. Milwaukee Brewers

2024 Record: 93-69, Finished 1st in NL Central

Projected Opening Day Starting Lineup

Lineup vs. RHP/LHP

1. Jackson Chourio, RF

2. William Contreras, C

3. Christian Yelich, DH

4. Rhys Hoskins, 1B

5. Garrett Mitchell, CF

6. Joey Ortiz, SS

7. Sal Frelick, LF

8. Oliver Dunn/Vinny Capra, 3B

9. Brice Turang, 2B

Notable IL: OF Blake Perkins

With the obvious exception of Willy Adames, Milwaukee’s lineup in 2025 will look very similar to the one from a season ago.

At the top of the batting order sits the Brewers’ big-three of Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, and Christian Yelich. While the back half of the order certainly has some productive hitters, this offense will run through that trio of hitters.

Chourio was one of the top hitters in baseball once the calendar turned to June last season. Contreras has established himself as the top offensive catcher in Major League Baseball. And Yelich returned to All-Star form last season before going down with a back injury late in the year, slashing .315/.406/.504 with a 153 wRC+ in 73 games last season.

Prior to his down year at the plate in 2024, Rhys Hoskins was one of the more consistent bats at the position throughout his time in Philadelphia. Now a year removed from his ACL tear and having a full offseason to settle down in Milwaukee, one can imagine Hoskins will put together a much better season at the plate in 2025.

Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick are two former top prospects who came through the minor league system together, and they both have a very important year ahead of them at the plate. Both players are gifted defenders and talented athletes, but neither have reached their full potential at the big league level to this point.

A healthy season for Mitchell would go a long way in him settling down at the major league level and tapping into his tantalizing potential, and Frelick will be an important hitter in this lineup if he can make just a little more impact on the ball. We know he has the ability to do so given what we saw from him throughout his time in the minors, but it’s yet to be seen if he can translate that type of impact to the majors.

Joey Ortiz — the ball club’s new starting shortstop — and Brice Turang round out the bottom of the lineup. Both players flashed really intriguing upside at the plate last season, and the Brewers will need a step forward from their young middle infielders to make up for some of the lost production from Adames’ departure.

Notable Depth/Bench

C Eric Haase, OF/1B Mark Canha, INF Caleb Durbin

Third base will likely be a platoon situation, featuring some mix of Vinny Capra and Oliver Dunn. Caleb Durbin will also probably see some time at the hot corner, although he will primarily be deployed in a utility role off the bench and fill in wherever he’s needed.

Eric Haase will serve as Contreras’ backup behind the dish, and Mark Canha, who the organization recently brought back on a minor league contract, will see some time backing up Hoskins at first base as well as getting some at-bats as the team’s designated hitter.

Canha had success with Milwaukee after the trade deadline in 2023, and he brings a skillset to the plate that the Brewers really value. Tyler Black (JB’s No. 95 overall prospect) should find himself in the mix at first base at some point in 2025 as well.

Projected Starting Rotation

Rotation Depth Chart on Opening Day

1. RHP Freddy Peralta

2. LHP Nestor Cortes

3. RHP Aaron Civale

4. LHP Jose Quintana

5. LHP Tyler Alexander

Notable IL: LHP Aaron Ashby, LHP DL Hall, RHP Tobias Myers, RHP Brandon Woodruff, LHP Robert Gasser

At full strength, this is a very solid starting rotation. Unfortunately, this rotation is far from healthy at the moment.

Freddy Peralta, Nestor Cortes, and Aaron Civale will be the top three starters to open the year. While Peralta failed to take the step forward many were expecting to see last season, he’s still capable of being one of the top strikeout artists when he’s feeling right on the mound.

Acquired to boost back-end rotation depth, Cortes all of a sudden finds himself in an immensely important role in this rotation following the slew of injuries the Brewers were dealt in recent weeks.

We know what Civale brings to the table at this point in his career. He’s a reliable innings-eater who will keep the Brewers in games, and that is a quality the Brewers greatly value in their rotation.

After signing a one-year deal earlier in March, Jose Quintana will start the year as the fourth starter in this rotation. It’s yet to be seen if he is properly built up to hit the ground running, but regardless he’ll be in the rotation to start the year in some capacity.

Tyler Alexander likely rounds out Milwaukee’s group of five starters until one of their arms returns from the injured list.

Tobias Myers and Aaron Ashby each suffered an oblique strain this month; Myers will start the season on the injured list with Ashby likely following suit. DL Hall was placed on the 60-day IL with a strained lat muscle back in February, and Brandon Woodruff is ramping up from his shoulder injury that took him out for the entirety of the 2023 season.

It’s yet to be seen how much time Woodruff will exactly miss. While he has progressed very encouragingly this spring, the Brewers are not going to rush his timeline.

They’re piecing it together in the meantime, but when Milwaukee gets their normal arms back, this is a rotation with a very high floor and a decently high ceiling.

Projected Bullpen

Bullpen Depth

1. RHP Trevor Megill

2. LHP Jared Koenig

3. RHP Joel Payamps

4. LHP Bryan Hudson

5. RHP Abner Uribe

6. RHP Elvis Peguero

7. LHP Connor Thomas

8. RHP Elvin Rodriguez

Notable IL: RHP Nick Mears

Few teams are better than the Brewers at maximizing talent out of their bullpen arms. Despite the loss of Devin Williams, many expect this bullpen to pick up right where it left off in 2024 as being one of the best relief units in baseball.

Trevor Megill will assume the closer role this season. He flashed some electric stuff in Williams’ absence last season, and it was enough to earn Pat Murphy’s confidence to be Williams’ immediate successor in the bullpen.

They also have a handful of high-leverage arms who were very successful in 2024, including southpaws Jared Koenig (2.73 ERA in 2023) and Bryan Hudson (1.73 ERA in 2023), as well as Joel Payamps, who also demonstrated his ability to close games in 2024.

The organization also has some high-upside names in Abner Uribe and Craig Yoho. Uribe is a flame-throwing righty who flashed some immense potential back in 2023, and Yoho, while starting the year in the minor leagues, will make his way into the big league bullpen in the not-too-distant future.

Outlook

The Brewers still head into 2025 as the team to beat in the division. They’ve reached the postseason in six of their last seven seasons, and while it hasn’t translated to any playoff success, they’ve been one of the best and most consistent regular season teams for years.

Even after winning 93 games in 2024, it feels as if this team has even more room to grow. It would have been encouraging to see them be more active this offseason, but then again it’s hard to disagree with their way of operating when they’ve thrived on such a successful winning formula.

The Brewers are deserving of the top spot in these power rankings given their amount of recent success. They’re once again expected to be competitive in 2025, and they will work to secure their third consecutive division title for the first time in franchise history.