NL Central’s Dominance in 2026
The NL Central is making waves in the 2026 MLB season. A year after sending three teams to the National League playoffs, the Central is even more well-rounded. Every single team in the division currently has a winning record. It’s the only one in MLB that can say that.
The 2026 NL Central has a cumulative record of 66-44, a .600 winning percentage. The ‘worst’ team in the division, the Brewers, has a .571 winning percentage. Milwaukee finished at the top of the division last season with a 97-65 record.
If you dropped the 2026 Brew Crew into, say, the AL Central or AL West today, Milwaukee would be in first place.
A Rare Feat in Baseball History
The NL Central’s performance raises a historical question: Has a division ever finished with every team having a winning record? MLB’s Divisional Era goes back to 1969. Since then, there’s never been a division where every team finished the season with more wins than losses. The 2026 NL Central would be the first if that somehow happened.
A record of .500 or better is also rare. There are two times where every team in a division has finished at or above .500. The last time was the 2005 NL East, when the Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins and Nationals all finished .500 or better. Before that, it was the 1991 AL West, which saw the Twins, White Sox, Rangers, A’s, Mariners, Royals and Angels all do it.
- 2005 NL East: Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, Nationals all finished .500 or better.
- 1991 AL West: Twins, White Sox, Rangers, A’s, Mariners, Royals and Angels all did it.
That means the best record for a last-place team is 81-81. A perfect .500 is the high mark for a last-place team in the Divisional Era. The 2005 Nats went 81-81 to finish last in the NL East, and the 1991 Angels finished 81-81 to finish last in the AL West.
Surprises Within the Division
The Brewers and Cubs were expected to battle for the NL Central title again this year. The Pirates were 20 games under .500 last year, even with Paul Skenes and No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin. The Cardinals looked like they were still rebuilding, but Jordan Walker’s breakout and top prospect JJ Wetherholt’s spark have them right back in the mix.
The Reds, too, were a surprise.
It’s always fun to see a wide-open division race in baseball — especially when it’s wide open because every team is good.