The National League Central has produced a different division champion in each of the previous three seasons, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs to the title in 2022.

MLB Betting Sites

With the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) season on the horizon, it’s time to take a closer look at all five teams in the NL Central and lock in some predictions ahead of the upcoming campaign.

St. Louis Cardinals Team Preview 2023

To Win the Division (-120)

To Win the League (+800)

To Win the World Series (+1900)

The St. Louis Cardinals returned to the summit of the NL Central last year, meaning they have won two of the last four NL Central titles. When you look at the bigger picture, St. Louis has topped the division in five of the previous 10 seasons.

Moving forward, the Cardinals will have to cope without the iconic Yadier Molina, who retired after the 2022 campaign. However, newcomer Willson Contreras is expected to fill the void left by Molina, so the Cards should be able to pick up where they left off.

MLB Betting Odds

Milwaukee Brewers Team Preview 2023

To Win the Division (+155)

To Win the League (+2000)

To Win the World Series (+4000)

It wouldn’t be unfair to say that the Milwaukee Brewers struggled for consistency in the offense department last season. Still, they managed to secure second place in the division thanks to some top-class pitching.

With shrewd additions like William Contreras and Jesse Winker coming in to replace departed stalwarts such as Hunter Renfroe and Kolten Wong, the refreshed Brewers will have their eyes on the top spot in 2023.

Chicago Cubs Team Preview 2023

To Win the Division (+650)

To Win the League (+4000)

To Win the World Series (+8000)

Between 2016 and 2020, the Chicago Cubs claimed three NL Central titles in five seasons – winning the World Series in the process. However, they have failed to achieve a top-two finish in each of the past two seasons.

The Cubs’ roster has undergone several key changes recently, with Dansby Swanson, Eric Hosmer, Rey Mancini, Tucker Barnhart and Cody Bellinger among the notable names to arrive. Can they take the Cubs back to the summit of the NL Central?

MLB Predictions

Pittsburgh Pirates Team Preview 2023

To Win the Division (+6000)

To Win the League (+10000)

To Win the World Series (+20000)

The Pittsburgh Pirates head into the 2023 campaign on the back of six successive bottom-two finishes in the NL Central. Having suffered a century of losses last season, the Pirates are not expected to enjoy a miraculous turnaround this year.

Cincinnati Reds Team Preview 2023

To Win the Division (+6000)

To Win the League (+10000)

To Win the World Series (+20000)

Like the Pirates, the Cincinnati Reds notched 62 wins and 100 losses last year. Following a run of 10 consecutive seasons without an NL Central title, Cincy looks set for another difficult campaign in 2023.

2023 National League Central Winner Prediction

1. St. Louis Cardinals

2. Milwaukee Brewers

3. Chicago Cubs

4. Cincinnati Reds

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

Read our 2022 MLB National League East preview next.