Lincoln Zdunich
Chicago Cubs
Expectation: Chicago will be a force to be reckoned with this season, likely to unseat the Brewers from their throne atop the NL Central. Despite losing Kyle Tucker to free agency, they picked up Alex Bregman to bolster the offense and fill out their infield.
Concern: The rotation is fantastic, especially after trading for Edward Cabrera, but the bullpen is desperately lacking. Behind closer Daniel Palenica there isn’t much the Cubs can rely on to fill out their relief innings.
Milwaukee Brewers
Expectation: The Brewers continue to be undervalued year after year. And year after year they destroy expectations and win the division. But this offseason they traded away their best players for not-so-great return. Their main strength is an offense with the ability for everyone to contribute, but it seems this might be the year that the Brew Crew’s surprises run out.
Concern: Milwaukee has a solid rotation, but without ace Freddy Peralta to anchor it and Quinn Priester starting the season on the inured list, the onus is on youngesters like Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat to anchor the rotation.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Expectation: The Pirates could actually make the postseason this year. After failing to make the playoffs since 2015, Pittsburgh made a swath of moves to upgrade their offense. But their true strength is in their rotation with the reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes returning to anchor the group.
Concern: In spite of a great offense and stellar rotation, the bullpen is not so good. After trading David Bednar to the New York Yankees last year, the only solid relief option is Gregory Soto. So long as the offense keeps rolling and the starters go deep, Pittsburgh will have a successful 2026.
Cincinnati Reds
Expectation: The Reds made the playoffs last year! It’s easy to forget after they got bounced so quickly by the eventual World-Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The shining spot of the team is superstar Elly de la Cruz. If he can finally put it all together, he could have a truly MVP-caliber season for Cincinnati.
Concern: The pitching in Cincinnati is rough due to injury. With Hunter Greene out for most of the season, the starting rotation will be anchored by Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns. The relief corps isn’t too inspiring but is solid enough to keep the club competitive in most games.
St. Louis Cardinals
Expectation: St. Louis will not make the playoffs this year. They likely won’t even be all that competitive, but the MLB debut of JJ Wetherholt alongside other young stars will be the story of the Cardinals’ 2026 season.
Concern: Everything. There’s nothing particularly great about this roster outside of its young stars. They traded away most of their talent this offseason in Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, and Sonny Gray. This year, they’ll flesh out what their group will look like for the next few seasons but will mostly flounder in the NL Central.
