Welcome to week 20 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (74-44); 5-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers went 5-2 at home this week, taking three of four from the Pirates before winning two of three against the Twins.
Jackson Chourio anchored the offense with four homers and seven walks this week, driving in five. Andrew Vaughn led the team with six RBIs while also homering, and Brice Turang led the team with eight hits, driving in five.
Kyle Harrison made the best start of the week in his return from the IL, totaling five scoreless with 10 strikeouts before being removed due to cramps. Aaron Ashby added to his win total with five scoreless innings over four appearances this week, striking out 11, while Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, Garrett Stallings, Abner Uribe, and Bryse Wilson also had scoreless weeks.
Milwaukee now heads back to California, as they’ll face the Padres for three games and the Dodgers for four games over the next week.
2. Chicago Cubs (69-50); 6-1 this week; 98.9% chance to make postseason
The Cubs had a solid week against some solid opponents, sweeping the Dodgers at home, beating the Blue Jays in a makeup game on Thursday, and winning two of three against the Royals in Kansas City over the weekend.
Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ian Happ both slugged a pair of homers this week, with PCA and Michael Busch (who also homered) tying for the team lead with 10 hits apiece. Eight other Cubs had a homer this week, too.
Just about every starter with the exception of Clay Holmes had a good week, as Matthew Boyd, Kevin Gausman, Javier Assad, Shota Imanaga, and David Peterson went a combined 4-0 with 11 earned runs across 37 1/3 innings (2.65 ERA). Tyler Ferguson, Ryan Rolison, Trent Thornton, Jake Woodford, and Jacob Webb all had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, with Webb picking up a pair of saves.
After an off day on Monday, Chicago will take on the Nationals for three games in Washington before returning home to host the Cardinals over the weekend.
3. Cincinnati Reds (56-61); 3-3 this week; 0.5% chance to make postseason
The dropoff between the Brewers and Cubs and the rest of the division has only gotten more drastic as the season has gone on. The Reds had an OK week, as they swept the A’s at home before being swept by the Nationals in Washington for a .500 week overall.
Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and Eugenio Suárez each slugged a pair of homers, while Sal Stewart had a team-high six hits, including a homer.
Rhett Lowder turned in the best start of the week, going six solid innings with two runs allowed and three strikeouts. Pierce Johnson, Zach McCambley, Luis Mey, and Emilio Pagán totaled seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts for the bullpen.
Cincinnati gets a day off on Monday before they play the White Sox for three games in Chicago. They’ll then return home to host the Marlins over the weekend.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (59-59); 4-2 this week; 6.7% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals won two of three against both the Yankees and Rockies for a 4-2 week.
Alec Burleson had five hits this week, including a team-high four homers, as he also doubled and drove in seven. Iván Herrera led the team with 10 hits, including a homer and three doubles, driving in four, while Jordan Walker, Jimmy Crooks, and Nathan Church also homered.
Andre Pallante turned in the best start of the week, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts to earn the win. Kyle Leahy (five innings, two earned runs) and Justin Bruihl (4 2/3 innings, one earned run) also had solid weeks, while Caleb Ferguson, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien all had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, with O’Brien picking up three saves.
St. Louis now hosts the Phillies for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then head to Wrigley to take on the Cubs over the weekend.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (58-62); 2-5 this week; 8.2% chance to make postseason
The Pirates had another rough week, losing three of four in Milwaukee before dropping two of three to the Mets over the weekend.
Brandon Lowe and Endy Rodríguez each slugged two homers this week, while Jake Mangum led the team with eight hits, including three doubles and a homer.
Bubba Chandler was the sole bright spot in the rotation, picking up two wins with just three runs allowed (two earned) over 11 2/3 innings, striking out 10. Camilo Doval, Mason Montgomery, Yohan Ramírez, and Luke Weaver combined for 10 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 15.
After an off day on Monday, the Pirates will visit the Marlins for three games before returning home to host the Red Sox over the weekend.
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