The dream lineup and rotation for every NL Central team

The NL Central was far more competitive than anticipated in 2025. The Milwaukee Brewers finished with the best record in the sport, and both the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs. Even the St. Louis Cardinals were competitive for much of the year. This division could once again be one of MLB's best in 2026, especially if the Pittsburgh Pirates are actually willing to spend money, as has been reported.

With contention in the minds of most of the fans of NL Central teams (sorry, Cardinals fans), here's a look at the dream, yet realistic, lineup and rotation for each of the five clubs for 2026.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Dream lineup

The latest rumors seem to indicate that the Pittsburgh Pirates, at long last, are willing to spend this offseason. I have my doubts when it comes to a Kyle Schwarber pursuit, but there are reasons to believe that the Pirates will make moves to address what was a putrid offense in 2025. They should look to pounce in trades and free agency to bolster the lineup.

Up and down the order, this dream lineup looks so much better. Brendan Donovan gives them a Silver Slugger winner at the top of the order, and Konnor Griffin has legitimate superstar upside. I'm not sure whether the Cardinals would trade Donovan to a division rival or that Griffin, a 19-year-old with just 21 games of experience in Double-A, would make the team out of spring training, but both are within the realm of possibility.

Eugenio Suarez and Jorge Polanco are a pair of veterans who'd give the Pirates a much-needed power infusion, and neither should break the bank financially. This duo combined to hit 75 home runs in 2025. For reference, the Pirates hit just 117 home runs as a team all of last season, the fewest by a wide margin. This lineup, paired with their already stout rotation, could make Pittsburgh a legitimate Wild Card contender in 2026.

Dream rotation

If it ain't broke don't fix it, right? Paul Skenes, arguably the best pitcher in the sport, is not going anywhere. Bubba Chandler has immense upside, and should slot in nicely into the middle of the rotation for his first full big league season. Both Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows showed flashes last season for Pittsburgh.

The big surprise in this rotation is that Mitch Keller is a part of it. Keller has been in trade rumors since last year's trade deadline, and he could very well get dealt this offseason, but the Pirates should not trade him. He might not be a star, but Keller has made at least 29 starts and thrown at least 159 innings in each of the last four seasons. He provides a veteran presence and some much-needed stability in what's otherwise a very young rotation, and he does so at a very fair price. He'd be tougher to replace than most might think.

Jared Jones probably won't be ready for Opening Day, but once he returns from his injury, this rotation could be one of the National League's best, especially if Chandler finds his footing in the bigs and if prospect Hunter Barco can make an impact. The Pirates probably do have room to add a starter, but they must spend whatever money they have on their lineup and bullpen.

St. Louis Cardinals

Dream lineup

What we all envisioned became abundantly clear thanks to Tuesday's Sonny Gray trade. The St. Louis Cardinals are rebuilding. They traded Sonny Gray for prospects, and there's a good chance that others will go too. Trading or releasing Nolan Arenado feels like a given. Capitalizing on Brendan Donovan's high value will be painful, but would make a lot of sense given the fact that he's only under control through 2027 and the Cardinals likely won't be competitive then. Even guys like Willson Contreras and Lars Nootbaar could go too. I have Contreras and Nootbaar staying, as Contreras will likely be picky regarding his no-trade clause, and Nootbaar's second-half struggles likely have his value lower than it should be.

Even without Donovan and Arenado, there's a lot to like in this lineup. Masyn Winn, Ivan Herrera and Alec Burleson could easily be part of the next contender in St. Louis. Top prospect JJ Wetherholt should have a clear path to making the Opening Day roster after he tore up Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .978 OPS in 47 games in 2025.

The lower third of the order features a bunch of dart throws. Can Jordan Walker find any sort of consistency in what will likely be his last chance to prove himself? Can Nolan Gorman make enough contact to be a viable everyday regular? Can Victor Scott II provide any offensive value to pair with his elite glove and speed?

Dream rotation

The Cardinals traded Sonny Gray, making a bad rotation even worse, and further adding evidence to the fact that this team is rebuilding. While the youth movement is here, the Cardinals should still look to add at least one veteran to lead the rotation. Zach Eflin can do so for cheap, coming off a lost season. 2025 was a disaster for Eflin, but he had a 3.59 ERA in 28 starts in 2024 and a 3.50 ERA in 31 starts in 2023. When he's been able to take the mound, he's been a decent arm for the most part. If he pitches to his potential, he could allow the Cardinals to flip him at the deadline for more prospects.

Behind Eflin is a slew of young starters looking to prove themselves. Matthew Liberatore was probably the Cardinals' best starter not named Sonny Gray last season. Michael McGreevy completed six or more innings in 10 of his 16 starts. Kyle Leahy will look to transition from a reliable reliever to a starter. Richard Fitts, acquired in the Gray trade, will look to establish himself in St. Louis.

The rotation will likely be among the league's worst in 2026, but with guys like Quinn Mathews, Liam Doyle, Brandon Clarke and Tekoah Roby in the pipeline, there are reasons for long-term optimism.

Cincinnati Reds

Dream lineup

The Cincinnati Reds made the playoffs, but their offense was pretty lackluster in 2025. Despite playing in one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the sport, the Reds ranked 14th in runs scored and 21st in home runs. The need for more power is clear, so why not add Kyle Schwarber, a player who just hit 56 home runs in 2025?

Sure, it's a long shot, but the Reds should have some money to spend, they have a clear need, and it just so happens that Schwarber is a Middletown, Ohio native. Adding Schwarber goes beyond adding his power bat. Hitting him behind Elly De La Cruz should give the Reds' shortstop more pitches to hit and an ability to wreak havoc on the base paths.

Making the dynamic duo of De La Cruz and Schwarber the focal point and guys like TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer more secondary makes the Reds incredibly dangerous. Adding in the fact that guys like Matt McLain and Tyler Stephenson are clear bounce-back candidates, and Sal Stewart has a ton of upside entering his first full season, the Reds could be seen as National League dark horses in 2026.

Dream rotation

Reds fans are already living the dream on the rotation front. Hunter Greene, when healthy, is a surefire ace. He should not be going anywhere. Andrew Abbott was an All-Star in 2025, and at just 26 years old, he could still have room to grow. Nick Lodolo is one of the more underrated pitchers in the game, and just had a career year in 2025. Brady Singer is a veteran stabilizer, and Chase Burns is a 22-year-old flamethrower with legitimate ace potential.

This rotation could very well be the best in the National League in 2026. Injuries are a factor, but four of the five starters have tantalizingly high upside, and even Singer was rock-solid for Cincinnati last season, particularly at home (3.29 ERA in 16 starts).

Reds starters ranked within the top 10 of the league in ERA and were second in fWAR in 2025, despite getting a combined 27 starts from Greene and Burns. Better health in 2026 could make the Reds frightening, especially if they're able to add Schwarber to their lineup.

Chicago Cubs

Dream lineup

Admittedly, the Chicago Cubs re-signing Kyle Tucker is nothing but a pipe dream. It shouldn't be, as the Cubs undoubtedly have the money to re-sign him and make additional moves, but it is. Still, there's a chance Tucker's price falls to a range where the Cubs are comfortable. This is what Cubs fans should be hoping for.

It didn't end well for Tucker in his lone season in Chicago as he struggled mightily down the stretch, but injuries are largely to blame for that. When Tucker was fully healthy in the first half, he performed like the MVP candidate Cubs fans envisioned when the team traded for him last offseason. More importantly, the Cubs ranked second in the majors in runs scored in the first half when Tucker was clicking. When Tucker struggled in the second half, the Cubs were 20th in the majors in runs scored.

The Cubs have seen how good this lineup can be with a healthy Tucker. Why would they want to change anything? They could replace Tucker with a top prospect like Owen Caissie or Moises Ballesteros and have a fine offense, but there's a reason they traded for Tucker to begin with. Without Tucker, this lineup lacks star power. A healthy Tucker takes this lineup from pretty good to great. Without him, it's tough to envision the Cubs getting over the hump in October.

Dream rotation

If the Cubs go big by re-signing Tucker, chances are, they won't spend on their much-needed frontline starter. With that being said, the Cubs could turn to the trade market to fill this void. Rentals like Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta are intriguing targets, but Joe Ryan makes even more sense, as he's under control for an additional year.

Ryan broke out in 2024, posting a 3.42 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) for the Minnesota Twins. He struck out 194 batters and issued only 39 walks in 171 innings of work while making the All-Star team for the first time. The Cubs lack a true ace to go up against other elite arms in October. Ryan could fill that void while not breaking the bank financially for a couple of years.

He wouldn't be easy to acquire, but the Cubs have the prospect capital to get a deal done. This will come down to Jed Hoyer's willingness to go all-in on trying to win a World Series in the short term.

Milwaukee Brewers

Dream lineup

The Milwaukee Brewers went out sad in the NLCS, but for the most part, this team was a force to be reckoned with in 2025. Given that, most of this lineup which ranked third in the majors in runs scored, should stay in tact. With that being said, it feels as if the Brewers are one big bat away from being true World Series threats. That's where Byron Buxton comes into play.

Buxton finally stayed (mostly) healthy in 2025 and showed the MLB world how good he can be, hitting 35 home runs and finishing 11th in the AL MVP balloting despite only played in 126 games. Buxton is a true five-tool talent who fits what the Brewers look for when it comes to his speed and defense while also adding some much-needed power to the top of their lineup.

Whether a trade can be done or not will ultimately be up to Buxton. He's making just $15.1 million over each of the next three years, which is incredibly team-friendly even for the small-market Brewers. Milwaukee also has the prospect capital to get a deal done, and it's not as if the Minnesota Twins will be contending. Buxton, however, has a no-trade clause, and it's unclear as to whether he'll waive it for any team. Brewers fans can dream, though.

Dream rotation

The dream scenario on the starting pitching front for Brewers fans would be the team holding onto Freddy Peralta. Trading him in his final year of club control, knowing he'll likely be gone after the year, is awfully tempting, but doing so would obviously make it much tougher for Milwaukee to win now. Pairing Peralta with a healthy Brandon Woodruff at the top of the rotation would be tough for any team to beat.

This rotation has room for an addition, and who makes more sense than Tyler Mahle? The right-hander was limited to just 16 starts last season, but he had a 2.18 ERA in those starts. His shortened season will likely limit his earning potential, which plays right into the frugal Brewers' hands. Getting him on a relatively cheap one or two-year deal makes sense, and his familiarity with the NL Central dating back to his days with the Reds should help.

Rounding out the rotation is Quinn Priester, a pitcher who helped lead the team to a win in 19 of his last 20 appearances, and Jacob Misiorowski, a rookie phenom who has ace upside. It's hard to get much better than that. Keeping Peralta and adding a veteran mid-rotation arm to replace Jose Quintana would allow the Brewers to deploy one of the best rotations in the National League.