NL Central Preview

Now we take a look at another competitive division in baseball: the NL Central. Unlike the NL East, which has the woe-be-gone Marlins, every team in the NL Central has a reason for competitiveness. Who should you keep an eye on this year?

• Top Dog(s): The Brewers, Cardinals, and Cubs: The reigning NL Central champions added Jed Lowrie and retained Mike Moustakas to bolster their bats. Milwaukee's hoping that their strong bullpen will carry them to the World Series. St. Louis added Paul Goldschmidt and have a hungry rotation. Mike Mikolas and John Gant headline a staff that can carry the Cardinals to another World Series. Their rival, the Cubs, have a potent lineup that can rake. Javier Baez and crew can hit the daylights out of the baseball. It looks to be a three-team race for NL Central supremacy this season between the Cubs, Cardinals, and Brewers.
  
• Team(s) to Watch For: The Reds and Pirates: After rebuilding for a few years, the Reds are starting to see some of their young talent blossom. Nick Senzel may make an impact as early as this year and hitters like Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez are great pieces to a potent Reds lineup. Pittsburgh surprised some people last year by staying competitive in the wild card race up until August. Their rotation will be key to how well they do, but it'll also be if hitters like Francisco Cervelli can carry the Pirates offensively. Overall, this division will be competitive and every team has a shot at making the postseason.