For the last three seasons, the Milwaukee Brewers have been running the NL Central division. With the Chicago Cubs signing Alex Bregman and the team trading Freddy Peralta, there is a growing concern among Brewers fans that their arch-rivals will dethrone them. However, last season, Chicago was favored to win the division when they acquired Kyle Tucker and still finished behind Milwaukee. Heading into 2026, the Brewers are returning most of their 97-win team. The NL Central is still very much the Brewers to lose.

Brewers Fans Are Overreacting (Again) And Forgetful Embed from Getty Images

This offseason, the Chicago Cubs signed free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal. Meanwhile, the only moves Milwaukee made was they acquired Angel Zerpa and recently traded longtime starter Freddy Peralta to the Mets. Naturally, fans of the Milwaukee Brewers are concerned about the possibility of Chicago dethroning them in the division. However, Brewers fans seem to be overreacting and seem to forget what happened last season.

Remember, last offseason, the Cubs traded for All-Star Kyle Tucker. After the Cubs made this trade, many people believed Chicago was the favorite to win the NL Central division title. However, Milwaukee would not only win the division, but they would also finish the regular season with a comfortable five-game lead on the Cubs. Further adding to Chicago’s misery, the Brewers would eliminate the Cubs in the NLDS in five games. The current situation is almost the same.

Most Of The Starting Lineup Is Returning In 2026 Embed from Getty Images

Aside from Rhys Hoskins, the Milwaukee Brewers return every regular player to a lineup that averaged 4.98 runs per game, second most in the National League. The only concern surrounding the Brewers’ offense is their lack of consistent home run power. However, if Christian Yelich stays healthy, William Contreras bounces back, Jackson Chourio fully taps into his power potential, Andrew Vaughn builds off his second half of 2025, and Brice Turang continues to find power, more homers could come. With the potential for more home runs, the Brewers’ potent offense can potentially be much more explosive.

Starting Pitching Is Still Strength, Even Without Freddy Peralta Embed from Getty Images

This offseason, the Brewers dealt Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets for prospects. However, Milwaukee’s starting rotation will remain a strength. While Peralta is now gone, the only other starter that departed was Jose Quintana. Meanwhile, key starters like Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Jacob Misiorowski, and Chad Patrick are all returning. The team also has significant depth returning behind them with arms like Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, and the recently acquired Brandon Sproat as well. Other pitchers like Aaron Ashby and DL Hall can make starts in case injuries happen. Starting pitching is everything in this game and the Brewers have plenty of it to be a true postseason contender.

The Brewers Will Once Again Have A Strong Bullpen Embed from Getty Images

Last season, Milwaukee’s bullpen was one of the best in the National League. As a unit, they compiled an ERA of 3.63, trailing only the Giants and Padres. It even performed well during Milwaukee’s run to the NLCS. The Brewers’ relief corps also ranked inside the top five in the National League in strikeouts, WHIP, and home runs given up as well. The only key reliever not returning is Nick Mears, who was part of the trade for Zerpa. Barring a trade, the Brewers are set to have key bullpen arms, including Trevor Megill, DL Hall, Abner Uribe, Grant Anderson, Aaron Ashby, Jared Koenig, and Rob Zastryzny. Further adding to the Brewers bullpen strength is that Megill and Uribe can close games as well. Milwaukee also has a way of finding previously discarded pitchers and turning them into quality relievers. The bullpen has been a major strength for this team for many years; I don’t expect that to change.

The NL Central Is In The Same Place It Was Last Year Embed from Getty Images

The NL Central division is basically in the same place it was last season. The Cubs acquired an all-star free agent and the Brewers traded away one of their best players. Despite Chicago getting better, Milwaukee still won another division title. This season, people are forgetting that the Brewers will be returning most of their 97-win team from last year. No matter who they lose, the team has proven to be resilient and has been able to win division titles. This is something that will continue in 2026 and it’s safe to say that the NL Central is Milwaukee’s to lose.

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