Re: So who wins the NL Central in 2026 ?
Posted: 20 Oct 2025 11:48 am
I just can't see Milwaukee doing it again. They're probably going to lose Woodruff. Significant talks of Peralta being traded before he hits the open market. Quintana hits the market. That leaves Priester, Miz, and Patrick from this year's rotation. Priester...I just can't buy into that. I feel like he's sort of a Liberatore type. Their K/9 is similar, and their FIP were really close, too. Liberatore walked about half a guy less per 9 than Priester. Both pitched around the same amount of innings, and gave up about the same number of dingers. Priester, to me, is a #3. And that's about where I see Liberatore. Priester walks more, but Liberatore gives up more hits.
Miz...he'll either be the beast that he was his first handful of starts, or he's going to have some growing pains. A lot of times those gangly types take some time to really develop. He's about Adam Wainwright's size, and Wainwright didn't really do well here until '06. His minor league numbers weren't really that great, and he got stashed in the bullpen. Wainwright also didn't have a blazing fastball to just blow by guys, either, like Miz does. I think he struggles some next year.
Chad Patrick...I don't know. I don't know much about the guy. Was he successful because he got developed by Milwaukee? Or was it just a case of the league not really having a book on him? His ERA and his FIP are exactly the same. That seems to suggest that he wasn't too lucky or too unlucky. He was exactly as he was. But I just don't know. Don't have a good grip on the guy.
Despite the NLCS, I like their hitting. Chourio's going to be a star. He very much reminds me of a young Yelich, except he's probably better than Yelich was at his age. More of a complete offensive player. We forget that it took a few seasons for Yelich to develop power. I like Frelick and Turang, too. They're both pesty hitters, the type that would give me more headaches than a lot of guys with more star power. They're just ALWAYS in the middle of something. Kinda like Mike Napoli and Ian Kinsler in the '11 series. Seems like when you really needed an out, those guys came up and just were an absolute pain in the neck.
I could be wrong, though. If they keep Peralta, then yeah, I can see it. But they can't lose Peralta AND Woodruff. And definitely not both. And I don't expect them to lose one of their horses and go out and get a Dylan Cease or sign some big bat to compensate for worse pitching.
Chicago...it all depends on how they spend. Cade Horton is a fine pitcher, but he also looks due for some regression. His FIP and ERA were about a run different. I don't see PCA doing another 30-30 year especially with presumably Mikolas and Fedde out of the division. He really had a bad second half and didn't do much against Milwaukee. Tucker is probably leaving. Happ didn't have a great year, and he's getting up there in years. Shaw didn't light the world on fire like they thought he would. I think Boyd was a fluke, Imanaga definitely took a step back, and both are on the wrong side of 30. So is Taillon, who's consistent, but isn't a horse. If Chicago spends like they're capable of, then I could see it. But they're also due for some regression from a lot of important guys.
I like Cincy. They've got a good manager. And they've got good young pitching. They need some more consistency in the hitting, and I could see them having a nice run. Truthfully, when we finally become relevant again, I see the Reds as being our big rivals in the division for the top spot more than the other three teams.
Miz...he'll either be the beast that he was his first handful of starts, or he's going to have some growing pains. A lot of times those gangly types take some time to really develop. He's about Adam Wainwright's size, and Wainwright didn't really do well here until '06. His minor league numbers weren't really that great, and he got stashed in the bullpen. Wainwright also didn't have a blazing fastball to just blow by guys, either, like Miz does. I think he struggles some next year.
Chad Patrick...I don't know. I don't know much about the guy. Was he successful because he got developed by Milwaukee? Or was it just a case of the league not really having a book on him? His ERA and his FIP are exactly the same. That seems to suggest that he wasn't too lucky or too unlucky. He was exactly as he was. But I just don't know. Don't have a good grip on the guy.
Despite the NLCS, I like their hitting. Chourio's going to be a star. He very much reminds me of a young Yelich, except he's probably better than Yelich was at his age. More of a complete offensive player. We forget that it took a few seasons for Yelich to develop power. I like Frelick and Turang, too. They're both pesty hitters, the type that would give me more headaches than a lot of guys with more star power. They're just ALWAYS in the middle of something. Kinda like Mike Napoli and Ian Kinsler in the '11 series. Seems like when you really needed an out, those guys came up and just were an absolute pain in the neck.
I could be wrong, though. If they keep Peralta, then yeah, I can see it. But they can't lose Peralta AND Woodruff. And definitely not both. And I don't expect them to lose one of their horses and go out and get a Dylan Cease or sign some big bat to compensate for worse pitching.
Chicago...it all depends on how they spend. Cade Horton is a fine pitcher, but he also looks due for some regression. His FIP and ERA were about a run different. I don't see PCA doing another 30-30 year especially with presumably Mikolas and Fedde out of the division. He really had a bad second half and didn't do much against Milwaukee. Tucker is probably leaving. Happ didn't have a great year, and he's getting up there in years. Shaw didn't light the world on fire like they thought he would. I think Boyd was a fluke, Imanaga definitely took a step back, and both are on the wrong side of 30. So is Taillon, who's consistent, but isn't a horse. If Chicago spends like they're capable of, then I could see it. But they're also due for some regression from a lot of important guys.
I like Cincy. They've got a good manager. And they've got good young pitching. They need some more consistency in the hitting, and I could see them having a nice run. Truthfully, when we finally become relevant again, I see the Reds as being our big rivals in the division for the top spot more than the other three teams.