May 4, 2026, 6:13 a.m. ET
The National League Central has been baseball’s best division, a fact that seems straight out of the upside down. The Chicago Cubs have been the division’s bully, a development that seems long overdue.
The Cubs have been on an early-season rampage, winning 14 of their last 17 games, dominating their Wrigley Field stomping grounds and soaring to No. 4 in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings.
At 22-12, the Cubs have the second-best record in the NL, yet they’re just two games ahead of the 20-14 Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. All five Central clubs are at least three games over .500, on the strength of a combined 44-28 record in interleague play.
And the Cubs improved to 14-5 at Wrigley by sweeping a decent Arizona Diamondbacks team, capped by a wind-swept 8-4 victory in which rookie Moisés Ballesteros hit a go-ahead homer. Next up: A four-game Wrigley showdown against the Reds.
A look at our updated rankings:
- Blake Snell nearing return, creating a 17-man rotation (estimated).
2. Atlanta Braves (+1)
3. New York Yankees (-1)
4. Chicago Cubs (+1)
- Don’t forget Moisés Ballesteros (six homers, .978 OPS) in the outstanding rookies conversation.
- Remember how good Griffin Canning was for the Mets last year? He struck out seven in five innings of his Padres debut.
6. Tampa Bay Rays (+3)
- On a 16-5 heater and have swept four teams, tops in the majors.
7. Cincinnati Reds (-1)
- Got swept in Pittsburgh and it couldn’t be much uglier.
- Konnor Griffin’s feet on the ground with .262 average, .723 OPS.
9. Detroit Tigers (-)
- Andrew Vaughn is back, but Jackson Chourio possibly delayed after fouling ball off foot in rehab game.
11. Cleveland Guardians (+1)
- That’s 300 steals, 291 homers for the remarkable José Ramírez.
- Looks like they’re back-back.
13. Arizona Diamondbacks (-3)
- Rookies Peyton Grey and Gavin Collyer combine for 13 ⅓ scoreless innings so far.
15. Athletics (+4)
- They depart Yolo County atop the AL West as six-game Eastern swing looms.
16. St. Louis Cardinals (+3)
- Jordan Walker’s 10 homers nearly equal his 11 from 2024, 2025 combined.
17. Seattle Mariners (-4)
- Cal Raleigh’s side issue has him flirting with IL.
18. Miami Marlins (-4)
- Old friend Don Mattingly takes a series off them for his Phillies.
19. Philadelphia Phillies (+3)
- Bryson Stott had zero homers, four RBI in 22 games under Rob Tomson, and two and seven in six games with Don Mattingly.
- Getting blasted in the Bronx likely an accurate barometer of their season.
- Go figure: 12-7 on the road, 4-12 at home.
- Aimless season gains direction with sweep at Seattle.
- Joe Ryan’s elbow soreness hopefully not a harbinger for disaster.
- They climb over the desiccated Red Sox and into 13th place in the AL.
- Noah Schultz struck out eight in six innings, remains very tall.
- Ranger Suarez’s right hamstring soreness the latest woe.
- Willy Adames in your garden-variety 5-for-55 hole, though he did break a 54-at-bat streak without an extra-base hit.
- In a 2-12 freefall and have scored two or fewer runs in eight of their last 14.
30. Colorado Rockies (-1)
- This Troy Johnston thing looking for real: .321/.385/.453 in 31 games.