Cubs owner Tom Ricketts sees a prime opportunity. With a stacked roster and rivals weakening, Chicago eyes its first NL Central crown since 2020.
The Chicago Cubs haven’t won many National League Central titles lately.
They have won the NL Central only once since 2018 and have just three NL Central titles since 2009. The Cubs' only division titles over the past 16 years have come in 2016, 2017, and 2020 (shortened season).
Those three titles since 2009 rank third in the division between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals. Both the Brewers and Cardinals have won six NL Central titles each, and the Reds have won two division titles during this span.
Considering the Cubs play in one of baseball’s biggest markets, it’s disappointing that the Cardinals and Brewers have twice as many division titles since 2009. That just shouldn’t be the case.
The Brewers have also dominated the NL Central over the past few seasons. They have won three straight division titles and have had Chicago’s numbers recently. The Cubs haven’t finished with a better record than the Brewers in a full season since 2017.
However, the division is there for the taking in 2026.
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts also thinks this is the team’s best shot at winning the division.
“We want to win the division,” Rickett said to reporters in Arizona. “We should win the division. We should be right there. You want to win the division for a lot of reasons, not just because it's aggravating not to – but you want to put yourself in the best position for the playoffs as well.”
The Cubs have the best roster in the NL Central on paper. They are coming off their best season in a while and had a very successful offseason. The North Siders added notable names like Alex Bregman, Edward Cabrera, Hunter Harvey, and Phil Maton.
So, Chicago is clearly the favorite to win its first division title since 2020.
The Brewers recently traded away two key players from last year (Freddy Peralta and Caleb Durbin). The Cardinals won’t be competitive after a big offseason sell-off. The Reds only added Eugenio Suarez in free agency, and the Pirates still need more talent.
Most projection models expect the Cubs to finish first in the NL Central this year. That’s no surprise since the North Siders have the best all-around roster in the division.
PECOTA projects the Cubs to easily win the division in 2026, predicting 90 wins and a 72% chance to take the NL Central. The Brewers come in next with a projected win total of 80.8 and a 13% chance of winning the division.
The Cubs are clearly in the driver’s seat to win the NL Central this year. Ricketts seems to agree.