The Bucs are still long shots, according to odds.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not won the National League Central since the division’s formation in 1994. The Milwaukee Brewers have controlled the division lately, winning it the last three years in a row.
Last year, three teams from the NL Central made it to the playoffs. The Cincinnati Reds were bounced in the Wild Card by the eventual World Series Champion, Los Angeles Dodgers. The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs met in a thrilling five-game in the NLDS series that decided who would play the Dodgers in the NLCS. While the Brewers were swept in the following round, they still got over the hump and won their first playoff series in years. There’s no guarantee either of those teams make the NLDS again, so the NL Central truly is up for grabs for the 2026 season.
Early indications are this division will likely run through Chicago, who hasn’t won the division since 2020. The Cubs should be able to punch their ticket to the postseason once again. There are small odds for St. Louis Cardinals or Cincinnati Reds to make it to playoffs, so the Pirates could fill that Wild Card spot or even overtake the Brewers in a division they’ve had a stronghold on for years.
FanDuel revealed their updated odds for who will win the NL Central. The Bucs are at +1000 odds which puts them in fourth in the division. The Cubs are at +150 and are predicted to win the division. While the Brewers are at +180 and the Reds are at +360. The Cardinals are predicted to come in last place in the division with lowest odds at +1800.
I think the odds for the Pirates are really low right now. This is a division that I think is winnable for Pittsburgh. Neither Cincinnati or Saint Louis have made serious moves in the offseason. Milwaukee had a great season last year but I don’t see them repeating that success for the 2026 season.
The Cubs are truly the team to beat in the central going into the year, but with the moves Pittsburgh made in the offseason and with the great pitching rotation The Pirates can really surprise some people this year. The Bucs have a loaded pitching rotation led by Cy young pitcher Paul Skenes. They have also been aggressive in the offseason getting veteran bats in Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe.
Pittsburgh has a young team, but the potential is there for The Bucs to snap their playoff drought and win the NL Central for the first time in franchise history even if the FanDuel odds don’t show it.
Category: General Sports
