Is the National League Central the Best Division in the National League?

For years now, the National League Central Division has been touted as one of the weakest in baseball during the off season rankings.  According to the bleacherreport.com preseason power rankings, the division had 3 of the teams projected to be in the bottom 6 in baseball, the Astros, Pirates, and Cubs.  The same power rankings article ranked only two teams in the division in the top half of baseball teams this season with the top ranking as picked to be the 8^th best team in baseball.  Not exactly the cream of the baseball crop, but an interesting thing has happened since these preseason predictions.  The National League Central Division teams, at least three of them, have decided that they no longer feel like losing. 

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, who were the one team picked in the top 10 of these preseason power rankings, and even this ranking was mostly based on the idea that the World Champions have to be ranked at least that high, the division has been anything but a collection of losers and bottom six type teams in baseball.  Before the last hiccup against the Brewers in Milwaukee, the Cincinnati Reds seemed immune to whatever virus causes teams to lose.  The Pittsburg Pirates also hit the same hot streak at the same time, and the Cardinals have put together one of their best stretches of the season only to find themselves falling further behind the pack.  After hearing all about the futility of the National League Central, I am beginning to think that as so often seems to be true, these preseason predictions turned out to be just about as unrealistic as could be possible.  In fact, an argument could be made for the National League Central Division as the best division in the National League.

The Argument For: The National League Central boasts three teams who are 9 games over .500 or more.  In the National League East Division, only two teams are even above .500 and in the West Division, while three teams are over .500 at least, the third team is Arizona has only won one more game than it has lost.  The simple truth of the National League is that there are not very many good teams, and the National League Central may very well get three playoff spots this season with the second wild card team added to the playoff mix this season after last season’s playoffs saw two of the National League Central teams playing in the National League Championship Series.  Between the Brewers and Cardinals last season and the Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals this season, the National League Central has had quite the run of playoff or potential playoff teams over the past two seasons.

The Argument Against:  The National League Central and the National League in general has been experiencing an exodus of talent to the American League.  It could be argued that the top two players in the Central Division over the past 5 years left the division at the same time this last off season.  Albert Pujols and Prince Fiedler both found their ways into greener pastures where the zeros after dollar signs continue on for as far as the eye can see in the American League.  The Central Division has had quite the run for sure, but that is just looking at one half of the teams that play in the division.  At the other end of the division, the National League Central as two of the worst three teams in the National League as based on records.  With uneven schedules weighted more heavily within the division, it is impossible to ignore the reality that the Cardinals, Reds, Pirates, and even Brewers have their records boosted by games against the pathetic Cubs and Astros. 

In all reality, it would be difficult to argue for any National League Division as the best in baseball, but as far as the National League goes, the Central Division is not getting the credit that it deserves for the quality of teams that have made their ways to the top.  Maybe another couple of World Series Teams will finally show that the National League Central is much more than the laughing stock that it has been thought of as over the past few off seasons.  The loss of the Astros to the American League will also only help with the credibility of the division.  Maybe even Theo Epstein could have a hand in turning the Cubs from laughing stock to a competent team again.  Regardless, no argument can be made against the top three teams in the National League Central as being among the Leagues elite.