With key offseason moves and the Brewers' major trade, the Cubs seize a prime opportunity to reclaim the NL Central crown.
It has been a while since the Chicago Cubs have finished with a better record than the Milwaukee Brewers. It has really been the Brewers' show in the National League Central for most of the last decade.
The Cubs just haven’t quite been able to catch the Brewers in the division recently. Milwaukee has won the NL Central in four of the past five seasons and has won over 85 games in each of the last five years.
The last time the Cubs finished with a better record than their archrival (excluding the shortened 2020 season) was in 2017, when the North Siders went 92-70 and won the division. That 2017 campaign was also the last time the Cubs won the NL Central in a full 162-game season.
The Brewers have just been the better team in the division. They are 45-32 against the North Siders over the last five years and have won more NL Central titles since 2021 than the Cubs have won since 2009.
Let that sink in for one minute.
However, things could be changing in favor of the Cubs for the 2026 season.
Chicago has had a very successful offseason by trading for Edward Cabrera and signing Alex Bregman to a massive five-year deal. Those two moves, mixed with the team’s current roster, put them in the driver’s seat for the division.
Additionally, the Brewers just traded away their best player from a season ago on Wednesday night. They sent Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets in exchange for two prospects (Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat).
While Williams and Sproat could easily turn into All-Star caliber players, losing Peralta is a big loss for that Brewers team. He won 17 games last year to go with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts across 176 ⅔ innings pitched. The right-hander also finished second on the team in WAR (5.5).
As a result, this is the Cubs' division to lose in 2026.
They are the more talented team, have made the necessary moves this offseason to improve the roster, and the Brewers just got rid of their All-Star pitcher. This gives the North Siders a clear path to winning the NL Central for the first time in a while.
Vegas also believes that Chicago is the clear favorite to win the NL Central. FanDuel gives the Cubs an 88.5 over/under win total and +115 odds to win the division. The Brewers come in with an 83.5 over/win total and +250 odds to claim the division title.
Sure, it hasn’t really mattered which players the Brewers roll out each season. They always seem to win 90+ games and make the playoffs.
But this year could be different.
The Cubs are finally equipped to win the NL Central title with a complete roster.