The National League Central Division Heading into MLB 2019

MLB features six divisions and dozens of teams. The American League and the National League both showcase East, West, and Central divisions. The National League Central Division features a tightly-packed field of contenders. Betting aficionados roundly agree that National League Central is one of the most competitive divisions in baseball and certainly one worthy of paying special attention to.

Now that spring training is behind us, the real business of MLB 2019 kicks off in earnest. While nobody contests that the National League East division features some of the toughest contenders in baseball (New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays) it would be foolhardy to write off the top NL Central division teams.

In MLB 2018, the National League Central teams performed superbly. Consider that the Milwaukee Brewers racked up an impressive 96 wins in the season. The team is slated to perform even better in MLB 2019 given several notable additions to the team. These include Jimmy Nelson and Yasmani Grandal.

The performance of the youngsters in the team is equally impressive, including Freddie Peralta, Brandan Woodruff, and Corbin Burnes. The Milwaukee Brewers have unfinished business, much like the 2016 Chicago Cubs and the 2015 Kansas City Royals. A safe bet on the Milwaukee Brewers is that they will win over 86.5 of their games, matching their performance in MLB 2018.

National League Central Division Standings at the End of 2018 MLB Season

NL Central 2018 was one of the most highly contested divisions. The Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs were separated by just one game. The teams begin the 2019 MLB season as follows:

• Milwaukee Brewers – W 96 – L 67 – PCT .589

• Chicago Cubs – W 95 – L 68 – PCT .583

• St Louis Cardinals – W 88 – L 74 – PCT .543

• Pittsburgh Pirates – W 82 – L 79 – PCT .509

• Cincinnati Reds – W 67 – L 95 – PCT .414

The teams are so closely matched in the National League Central division that the top three are only separated by 8 games. Compare this to NL West with a top 3 separation of 10 games, and the NL East with a top 3 separation of 10 games. In the American League, AL East has a top 3 separation of 18 games, NL Central has a top 3 separation of 17 games, and the AL West has a top 3 separation of 14 games.

The Chicago Cubs placed second in the National League Central division in 2018. Their performances have been remarkable, with 95 wins, 68 losses and an impressive win/loss ratio of .583. And they did all of this without their key third baseman, Kris Bryant. Other notable absences included Brandon Morrow, and Yu Darvish. For MLB 2019, it is clear that the Chicago Cubs are a force to be reckoned with.

The St Louis Cardinals now sports an impressive group of players including Paul Goldschmidt, Jesus Aguilar, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto. This ranking National League Central division team has a top selection of first basemen who performed incredibly well in the National League Wins Above Replacement in their respective positions.

How is the National League Central Division Expected to Perform in MLB 2019?

While the general feeling is that the top five teams include the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, the LA Dodgers, and the Washington Nationals, there is room in the top 10 for National League Central division teams. The Chicago Cubs, the St Louis Cardinals, and the Milwaukee Brewers feature prominently. Leading New Jersey bookmaker 888sport has posted the following betting odds ahead of MLB 2019 (odds subject to change):

• St Louis Cardinals – +200

• Chicago Cubs – +210

• Milwaukee Brewers – +250

• Cincinnati Reds – +900

• Pittsburgh Pirates – +1400

Many baseball betting experts agree that the Chicago Cubs are the team to beat in their division this year. They are hands down the most talented team in the National League Central division, and when their key players return to form they will be a force to be reckoned with. Consider the likes of Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. However, the St Louis Cardinals have Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Miller to contend with. At the bottom of the barrel are the Pittsburgh Pirates – longshots of note.

NL East, NL West and NL Central Teams Competing for the National League Winner Title

888sport NJ has the following National League teams in contention for the League Winner title including the playoffs (odds subject to change):

• LA Dodgers – +400

• Philadelphia Phillies – +500

• Chicago Cubs – +700

• St Louis Cardinals – +750

• Washington Nationals – +750

• Milwaukee Brewers – +800

National League Cy Young MLB 2019 Winners

888sport NJ has listed the following top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award Winner (Odds subject to change):

• Max Scherzer – +260 (Washington Nationals)

• Jacob deGrom – +350 (New York Mets)

• Aaron Nola – +750 (Philadelphia Phillies)

• Clayton Kershaw – +1600 (Los Angeles Dodgers)

• Noah Syndergaard – +1600 (New York Mets)

• Walker Buehler – +1800 (Los Angeles Dodgers)

National League MVP Award Winner MLB 2019

The National League MVP award winner odds as presented by 888sport NJ include the following (Odds subject to change):

• Bryce Harper – +400 (Philadelphia Phillies)

• Nolan Arenado – +800 (Colorado Rockies)

• Paul Goldschmidt – +1200 (St Louis Cardinals)

• Manny Machado – +1400 (San Diego Padres)

• Kris Bryant – +1600 (Chicago Cubs)

National League Rookie of the Year MLB 2019

The National League ‘Rookie of the Year Winner’ contenders include the following (Odds subject to change):

• Victor Robles – +225 (Washington Nationals)

• Peter Alonso – +400 (New York Mets)

• Nick Senzel – +500 (Cincinnati Reds)

• Fernando Tatis Jr – +700 (San Diego Padres)

• Alex Reyes – +1200 (St Louis Cardinals)

• Francisco Meija – +1400 (San Diego Padres)

Which Players are Likely to Score the Most Runs Excluding the Playoffs?

888sport NJ has the following odds listed for players to score the most runs in the MLB 2019 season (Odds subject to change):

• Mookie Betts – +700 (Boston Red Sox)

• Mike Trout – +700 (Los Angeles Angels)

• Aaron Judge – +1200 (New York Yankees)

• J.D. Martinez – +1200 (Boston Red Sox)

• Charlie Blackmon – +1600 (Colorado Rockies)

The National League Central features at least 3 teams equally skilled to lead the division in 2019. While betting maestros have pinned their hopes on the Saint Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Brewers will certainly be fighting hard to retain their dominance this season. The Pittsburgh Pirates are the outsiders with odds of +6600 to win the World Series in 2019.