NL Central standings show every team is winning. We break down why

Christian Yelich's glove features a gold Rawlings patch in honor of his 2014 Gold Glove

William Contreras got a specially customized glove with the colors of the Venezuelan flag for the World Baseball Classic.

Sal Frelick showcases his glove in the Brewers clubhouse.

The only customization on Jacob Misiorowski's game glove is a skull.

Jacob Misiorowski's custom glove in support of those with Parkinson's disease, which includes his father.

A red tulip, the symbol for Parkinson's disease, is etched into Jacob Misiorowski's practice glove.

Joey Ortiz showcases his game glove.

Joey Ortiz showcases his game glove with a cross and an acronym for "His Glory Alone".

Brandon Sproat's glove features his motto of 'Let it eat' on the outside.

Brandon Sproat has a Bible verse stitched into his glove.

Garrett Mitchell's glove features the same line he has tattooed on his body: Keep the faith

Quinn Priester's glove reads 'Seek discomfort', a nod to the motto of a YouTube shows that he's applied to baseball

Jake Bauers' glove features a 'JB' inscription on it.

Jared Koenig keeps it simple with his Mizuno glove.

Brandon Lockridge showcases his glove.

Grant Anderson showcases his glove, which has the initials of his two children.

Grant Anderson points to the Bible verse stitched on his glove.

Kyle Harrison has a longer glove for a pitcher with his nickname etched into it.

The only customization on Robert Gasser's glove is his nickname 'Gas' along the outer edge.

Steward Berroa, in pink lettering, has the verse Matthew 23:12 on the outside of his web.

Steward Berroa has his nickname stitched into the siding of his glove.

Andrew Vaughn's team-colored glove features just his name alongside his wife's initials.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brice Turang's glove features a platinum patch to commemorate his 2024 Platinum Glove award.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brice Turang's glove features a platinum patch to commemorate his 2024 Platinum Glove award.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brice Turang has his nickname and number on the side of his glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brice Turang has begun using a 'V' web in his glove this year.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Christian Yelich's glove features a gold Rawlings patch in honor of his 2014 Gold Glove

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

William Contreras got a specially customized glove with the colors of the Venezuelan flag for the World Baseball Classic.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Sal Frelick showcases his glove in the Brewers clubhouse.

7 / 25

See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

The only customization on Jacob Misiorowski's game glove is a skull.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Jacob Misiorowski's custom glove in support of those with Parkinson's disease, which includes his father.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

A red tulip, the symbol for Parkinson's disease, is etched into Jacob Misiorowski's practice glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Joey Ortiz showcases his game glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Joey Ortiz showcases his game glove with a cross and an acronym for "His Glory Alone".

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brandon Sproat's glove features his motto of 'Let it eat' on the outside.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brandon Sproat has a Bible verse stitched into his glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Garrett Mitchell's glove features the same line he has tattooed on his body: Keep the faith

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Quinn Priester's glove reads 'Seek discomfort', a nod to the motto of a YouTube shows that he's applied to baseball

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Jake Bauers' glove features a 'JB' inscription on it.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Jared Koenig keeps it simple with his Mizuno glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Brandon Lockridge showcases his glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Grant Anderson showcases his glove, which has the initials of his two children.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Grant Anderson points to the Bible verse stitched on his glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Kyle Harrison has a longer glove for a pitcher with his nickname etched into it.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

The only customization on Robert Gasser's glove is his nickname 'Gas' along the outer edge.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Steward Berroa, in pink lettering, has the verse Matthew 23:12 on the outside of his web.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Steward Berroa has his nickname stitched into the siding of his glove.

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See photos of personalizations on Brewers' baseball gloves

Andrew Vaughn's team-colored glove features just his name alongside his wife's initials.

Standings in National League Central (through May 3)

• Chicago Cubs, 22-12
• Cincinnati Reds, 20-14 (2 games back)
• St. Louis Cardinals, 20-14 (2 games back)
• Milwaukee Brewers, 18-15 (3½ games back)
• Pittsburgh Pirates, 19-16 (3½ games back)

Chicago Cubs

• Record: 22-12
• Current trend: Won five straight games and 11 consecutive games played at Wrigley Field.
• Stat to know: The Cubs lead all of baseball with a .353 on-base percentage.
• Players who are thriving: Moisés Ballesteros probably isn't a name Brewers fans expected to concern themselves with, but he has a .978 OPS ... Nico Hoerner leads the team in WAR as an outstanding defensive second baseman and carrying an .841 OPS. ... Seiya Suzuki has a .928 OPS and .402 on-base percentage. ... Ian Happ has eight homers. ... Shota Imanaga has a 2.40 ERA in seven starts. ... Newcomer Edward Cabrera has a 3.06 ERA despite only 29 strikeouts in more than 35 innings.
• Up next: Chicago hosts Cincinnati for four games, then goes on a three-city road trip to Texas, Atlanta and Chicago to face the White Sox.
• When do they next face the Brewers? May 18-20 at Wrigley Field

Cincinnati Reds

• Record: 20-14
• Current trend: Lost three straight and four of five.
• Stat to know: They also just lost their first one-run game of the season (7-1) and are 4-0 in two-run games.
• Players who are thriving: Elly De La Cruz has an .890 OPS with 10 homers and 25 RBIs, plus eight stolen bases. ... Sal Stewart was just named the NL Rookie of the Month with an .852 OPS and nine homers. ... Newcomer Nathaniel Lowe has a .945 OPS. ... Flamethrowing starter Chase Burns has been excellent with a 2.20 ERA in seven games, with 46 strikeouts in 41 innings. ... Graham Ashcraft has a 1.13 ERA in 16 relief appearances.
• Up next: Cincinnati visits Wrigley for a four-game series with the red-hot Cubs, then a homestand against Houston and Washington before traveling to Cleveland.
• When do they next face the Brewers? Not until June 22-24 in Cincinnati.

St. Louis Cardinals

• Record: 20-14
• Current trend: Lost Sunday to snap a six-game winning streak immediately coming off a four-game losing streak.
• Stat to know: Surprising team tied for fourth with Cubs and Reds across baseball in home runs with 44. Also regarded as a top-five defensive team by defensive runs saved.
• Players who are thriving: Jordan Walker is having a breakout season with 10 homers, 27 RBIs and a .964 OPS. ... Rookie JJ Wetherholt is second on the team in WAR with a .791 OPS. ... Slick-fielding Masyn Winn has a .725 OPS and is third on the team with 1.2 WAR. ...Michael McGreevy has a 2.52 ERA in seven starts despite only 24 strikeouts in 39 innings. ... Riley O'Brien already has nine saves.
• Up next: The Cardinals host Milwaukee for three games, followed by a seven-game trip out west to see San Diego and the Athletics, with Kansas City and Pittsburgh on the other side.
• When do they next face the Brewers: May 4, with more games at American Family Field upcoming May 25-27.

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Record: 19-16
• Current trend: Swept the Reds to bounce back immediately after a five-game losing streak.
• Stat to know: The Pirates lead all of baseball with 330 strikeouts among its pitchers.
• Players who are thriving: Paul Skenes obviously, who has 39 strikeouts in 34 innings and a 3.18 ERA in seven starts. ... Braxton Ashcraft (3.02 ERA) and Mitch Keller (2.85) have been excellent in the rotation. ... Gregory Soto has a 1.59 ERA in 17 relief outings. ... Newcomer Brandon Lowe has an .877 OPS and leads offensive players in WAR. ... Oneil Cruz has 11 stolen bases and nine home runs, with an .822 OPS.
• Up next: The Pirates travel out west to face Arizona and San Francisco, then return home to meet Colorado and Philadelphia.
• When do they next face Brewers? After taking two of three from Milwaukee at American Family Field in April, they won't meet again until July 10-12 in Pittsburgh, the last three days before the all-star break.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NL Central is loaded in 2026. Here's why each team has winning record