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Reds, Pirates, Brewers, Cardinals, Cubs: The good, bad, and injured

By Beau Adams

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 23: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after stealing second base in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park on June 23, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 23: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after stealing second base in the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park on June 23, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Jun 19, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez (11) reacts after striking out in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rowdy Tellez (11) reacts after striking out in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

The bad in the NL Central

Despite leading the NL Central most of the season and sitting in second place currently, the Milwaukee Brewers are bad. They are the worst in the NL in average as a team at .227, hits (557), and runs (305). They are second from the bottom in strikeouts and hold a minus-20 run differential on the season.

Luck will only get you so far in baseball, and it appears Milwaukee’s early season luck is running out. Rowdy Tellez hit eight home runs in April; since May, he only has hit four, and zero in June. Third baseman Brian Anderson was hitting .255 going into May and has dropped his average to .223 since then. He is hitting .177 with one homer in June.

The Brewers are still just three games down for a Wild Card spot, but with the Cubs pitching coming on and the Reds being red hot, it’s only a matter of time before the numbers catch up to them and force them down in the standings.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were pushing in the NL Central all season. They seemed to be having a breakout season and the feel-good baseball team of the year until the Reds showed up.

They are 1-9 in their last 10 games, have slipped to fourth place in the division, and have a minus-41 run differential. They are seven games behind Miami for the final Wild Card spot and may become sellers after the All-Star break.

The St. Louis Cardinals, what happened? They looked on paper to be easy favorites in the Central. They started slow, but most analysts wrote that off as a fluke and expected a turnaround. Now heading into the final weeks of June, the Cards are one of the worst teams in baseball.

With the All-Star break approaching, it appears time to call the season, start selling assets, and build for next year. Jordan Walker is a star. Since being called back up on June 2, he is hitting .333 with four homers and 8 RBI. He should have never been sent down needs to be on the roster and in the lineup daily. Adam Wainwright, Jordan Montgomery, and Jack Flaherty are all in-restricted free agents next year and need to be shopped. Cutting their losses with Tyler O’Neill is also necessary at the trade deadline. 

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