The Central division features one of the best teams in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals. After an offseason that was very unexpected, the projected divisional placement for the Cards is definitely not. Backed by new right fielder Jason Heyward, their All Star caliber catcher Yadier Molina, and a pitching staff led by Adam Wainwright, it's hard to simply look beyond the expectations. Quite a few expert analysts have the Redbirds raking up their third consecutive divisional crown in 2015. With a team that was victorious last season, even with a sketchy offense, adding Heyward's bat to the lineup just really seals the deal in the Gateway City.
The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't have too many offseason events worth bragging about coming into the 2015 season. They lost Russell Martin, which I think is going to hurt them more than they think. They did add AJ Burnett back to their rotation. I think they'll be decent since they have guys like Cutch and Josh Harrison, but I just can't let myself like them as much as I could with the presence of Martin.
The Cincinnati Reds are looking to bounce back after last year's roller coaster season. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips all went down with injuries. The highlight of the Reds was hands down Johnny Cueto. He was a twenty game winner, and one of the best pitchers in the National League last season. I think they're going to be leaps and bounds better than last year, but I don't think they will be able to charge passed the Redbirds.
The entire Chicago Cubs organization and their fan base is exploding with optimistic predictions coming into 2015. The world surrounding Major League Baseball has heard of the prospects the Baby Bears have. Guys like Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, and Javier Baez are really being counted on. These guys are full of potential, but just keep in mind that they are prospects. Prospects meaning they are young and haven't experienced an entire big league season. Let's get this straight, I'm an avid Cardinals fan, but I don't hate the Cubs. I actually think they will contend in a few years. To say they will contend now may be a bit of a long shot. I think in the upcoming years, though, they might be playing in the upper half of the division.
The Milwaukee Brewers closed out last year's season in a tragic way. After leading the division for virtually all of the beginning half last season, things just went haywire for the once mighty Brew Crew. They missed the Postseason, which was far from what most had projected. Now, Milwaukee is looking for redemption. So, they'll be as tough as ever. Their bad luck has seemed to have carried over, because center fielder Carlos Gomez has hit the 15 disabled list. They'll be lost if they're without him for longer than a couple of weeks. Get him back, Braun and Lucroy to hit, and they'll be just fine. I don't believe Lucroy will put up numbers like he did last season, but what do I know.
Twitter: @Curtis_Josey
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