The Brewers have won the National League Central two years in a row, a great accomplishment but one that only goes so far in determining future success.

The upcoming roster might look quite different than it did at the start of this run with both key youngsters debuting and veterans departing.

What will the Brewers’ path look like to win yet another division title?

The 2025 season will be much more difficult as NL Central rivals improve. This year, the Brewers’ largest deficit in the division was two games — only nine games into the season. By the 12th game of the year, they never trailed again.

The Brewers have integrated a young core into the roster, but several of their division opponents are doing the same. The Reds and Pirates, despite finishing fourth and fifth in the division, respecitvely, might be the toughest matchups for the Brewers next year.

The Cubs and Cardinals seem to be in a strange, middle-of-the-road process. Neither team looked particularly threatening in 2024, finishing 10 games out of first place. They both were reliant on older players, and while still respectable, fell short of expectations.

As for the Reds and Pirates, their team-building cycles seem to be pushing for contention at the same time.

The Reds were the hot topic across baseball in 2023, but injuries derailed their season this year. Cincinnati’s roster is brimming with young talent.

Of course, there’s Elly De La Cruz, but players like Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand are potential All-Stars lurking around the corner. Their return to health will be an instant boon for the Reds’ lineup.

Cincinnati’s team 87 wRC+ ranked 26th in baseball. That would require a serious rebound, but the influx of returning players should be enough to turn their lineup into a true threat.

Their rotation could be the best in the division next year, again with the caveat of remaining healthy. Hunter Greene had a 2.75 ERA, the fourth-best in baseball among pitchers with at least 150 innings pitched. Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott both have had impressive stretches. And their 2023 first-round draft pick, Rhett Lowder, pitched to a 1.17 ERA in his brief stint with the major league club.

The Reds boast a young core that will challenge the Brewers for years to come.

The Pirates’ rotation might be even more imposing. If your team has an ace like Paul Skenes, yeah, that’s going to cause some problems. The sensational right-hander pitched to a 1.96 ERA across 133 innings after barely throwing 30 innings in the minors.

The rest of the rotation features Jared Jones, another promising 22-year-old, and veteran Mitch Keller.

While the Reds already have an established group of young players, veterans, and a solid rotation, the Pirates might need to make some moves to truly contend in the division.

While the NL Central is viewed as a relatively weak division, the Pirates still need a few extra hitters to take that next step.

The Pirates roster has interesting young names, but not many that look like future stars. Outside of Oneil Cruz, the young hitters largely looked mediocre. Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and Ke’Bryan Hayes were all below-average performers.

Most of their top prospects are either pitchers or still in the lower minors, so reinforcements would likely have to come from the outside.

Would the Pirates be willing to make a splash to capitalize on a rotation led by Skenes?