An early start this weekend with…CHECKING OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD! Thanks for your read! Bob CHECKING OUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD! We’re all proud of our neighborhood. But, once in a while, we need to “check it out”—learn more about our neighbors. Same is true in sports – the “neighborhood” in the MLB is our division-the NL Central—the teams that we play most often. Sooo…enjoy your tour through the NL Central Neighborhood & the Cardinals too!! ….Surprising, we see them 1st as they are sitting atop the NL Central Division– the Cincinnati Reds! As I write this, the Reds hold an 18-10 record as they hold down the 1st place spot in the NL-Central. Either its’s skill or luck or both as the Reds are 7-0 in 1 runs games!! Amazing!! After these first 28 games, the Reds are scoring at a rate of 4.2 runs/game AND yet, they are allowing the same 4.2 runs/game against them! YET…they are 18-10 for the season! I doubt that will continue…but…ya never know One way to win title is to beat the bad teams and play .500 against the good teams. Well, The Reds are beating up the sub .500 teams in 2026 as they are 13-6 against those types of teams thus far in ’26. … Cincy is being led by a new star– 22 year old, 1b–Sal Stewart, who’s holding some fantastic numbers—.299 average, 9 home runs(1st in NL), 29 RBI’s(1st in NL), with an amazing OPS (on base + slugging) mark of .963(1st in NL)! I can’t imagine that his numbers will hold at that level but….he is playing ½ of his games in a real “hitters Park”. …But, he’s not the ONLY serious hitter in a Reds uniform. SS Ella De La Cruz holds a .274 batting mark, with 9 round trippers, 20 RBI’s & an amazing .907 OPS! It’s quite a duo to have in your daily lineup. His OPS is .907! To help give you an idea how good this pair is in OPS, the Cards leader is Jordan Walker .906. ..But…it’s always true—PITCHING WINS! And…in current baseball, WINS often come through the bullpen. The 2026 Reds closer is largely unknown, yet has been terrific in the first 3 weeks of 2026. He’s a 34 year old RHP who already has posted 6 saves in 2026! Emilio Pagán is the “new” closer. He’s been in the MLB for 10 years!! He has posted 2 years with 20 or more saves. In 2019, he had 20 saves with Tampa Bay. The next time he excelled was last year, 2025 @ Cincy with 32 saves. Sooo… like all MLB teams, will their pitching last? Nonetheless, It’s good to see Cincy being competitive again as a good, ol’ time neighbor. …the Pittsburgh Pirates rank, according to baseball experts, as the biggest surprise thus far of MLB 2026. Yes…seemingly, the ever-dwelling basement team of the NL Central–the Pirates!! The last time that they jumped the .500 bar (granted that’s a rather low bar to blast off for!!) was 2018. They’ve “cleared” the .500 bar just FOUR times since 2000 with all 4 of them coming in a 6 year stretch—2013-2018. But…in 2026, the Pirates have new look & a new life! As I write this, they are in 3rd place, holding a 16-13 record. Why/How are they winning? …Well, as your would expect…it’s pitching! They are 5th in the entire MLB in team ERA (earned run average) soooo, they are “in” almost every game. in 2026–Konnor Griffin (SS): who’s a top MLB prospect with possible MVP potential, he has elite speed and power potential(20+ HR and 60+ SB potential). Oneil Cruz (OF) had to adjust as he transitioned to the outfield, he provides significant power to the 2026 lineup. Pitching wise–Bubba Chandler (RHP)(you better be good with that 1st name )is a top-10 MLB pitching prospect who is expected to be a key element in the Pirates’ starting rotation for several years. Hunter Barco (LHP): Key left-handed pitcher in the rotation—every good team needs at least ONE strong left handed starting pitcher. Good to see our long-time neighbor being competitive (at least through April)! …But…where are the Cubs? Let’s take a deeper look @ the Cubbies. Their day-day starting lineup is loaded with veterans. C-Carson Kelly (was a Cardinal for his first few years) is now 31 years old, in his 11th MLB season & has bounced around with 3 teams in his last 3 years. Taking a player like this, seems to me, that the Cubbies are playing for “right now”. 1b, Michael Busch is in his 4th MLB season—last year was a “break out” year with 34 home runs for him. He’s 28 years old so he should be in his prime. 2b Nico Horner (2b) is in his 8th year as a Cubbie. He seems to be a reliable .280ish batter… which puts him in the upper 1/3 of hitters these days. SS-Dansby Swanson, 32 years old, 11th MLB season—he’s been a steady .250ish batter and steady defender. 3B-Alex Bregman- spent 9 years as an Astro & 1 year playing in Boston. Statistically, it appears that he’s on the “downside” of his career. But…he does bring lots of playoff experience each day to the clubhouse. LF Ian Happ has been a Cubby for his entire career. Drafted in 1st round in 2015 by the Cubs, he’s now a clubhouse leader as his on-the-field level dips just a bit. CF Pete Crow-Armstrong is in his 5th season in Chicago. He’s a true CF—good range, strong defense, moderate batter with good speed (stole 35 bases last yea) RF is 22 year old Moisés Ballesteros from Venezuela. He’s off to a sizzling start this year with (as I write this) a .364 average. (It’s bound to drop—no one hits that any more!!) …Milwaukee never seems to have any real super-starters but they have won the Central flag twice in the past 5 seasons. In the last 8 seasons, the Brewers have made the Playoff 7 TIMES!! Now they’ve only won 2 playoff series during that run. How do the Brewers do it? 1) Strong pitching staff: The Brewers always seem to have a consistent, yet not flashy “strikeout”staff. 2) Defense! They seldom “beat themselves” with sloppy or poor defense. 3) Aggressive baserunning coupled with smart at-bats to gain an edge often in games 4) Health of team has always been good…is that luck or resting players enough to keep them strong for the long season. 5) Remarkably, they do it with a modest pay scale. ….Of course, I just can’t skip our Cardinals. As I write this the Red Birds are 16-13, 3rd place, 3 games out. The entire division is separated by a total of 3.5 games!!! The unbelievable 6 run 9th inning win for the Cards reflect their youthful spirit & skill!! …The Youthful Trio of JJ Weatherholt, Justin Walker, & Nathan Church have been consistent contributors in almost every game thus far. Of course, Walker’s HR parade has slowed down but he’s adjusted and is now raising his average & RBI total. Weatherholt seems unphased, thus far, by the MLB level of play. He’s shown poise, inner confidence (w/o cockiness) and the ability to hit to all fields, especially with runners on base! Church, seemingly, has come “out of Nowhere” to earn playing time! Already the ugly head of “fair to middling” starting pitching is showing itself to us frequently. But, how about closer, Riley O’Brien? He has 8 saves which is 3rd in the MLB, 1 hold and an ERA of 1.17, 17 strikeouts vs just 1 walk in 2026!! The Cards found that “hidden gold” in O’Brien. But…don’t build your team around him..he’s 31 years old! …But…for right now….let’s keep enjoying the speed & spirit of the ballclub. …Thanks for your read on the NEIGHBORHOOD. YOUR thoughts are always invited…pro or con! Bob

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