Cubs predicted by ESPN as overwhelming favorites for NL Central despite losing Kyle Tucker

The Chicago Cubs are coming into the 2026 regular season with plenty of potential and hype. While they might not be the World Series favorites, thanks to the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, they are still in a great spot as a team.

With the Cubs looking to make it deeper than ever in the postseason, 10 years since their incredible World Series run, the overwhelming majority of ESPN analysts predicted them to win the NL Central.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN shared how the Cubs, despite losing Kyle Tucker this offseason, wound up as the overwhelming favorites to win the NL Central this year.

Why Cubs are predicted to win NL Central by ESPN

"If not now, when? The Cubs have their highest payroll, are deeper than any of their more recent teams, had a taste of the playoffs last year, and should be playing peak Cubs baseball under now third-year manager Craig Counsell," Rogers writes.

While Tucker left the Cubs for the Dodgers, Counsell's Cubs went out and signed Alex Bregman to a big free agent deal, improving their roster in a big way despite losing Tucker.

With Pete Crow-Armstrong and the rest of the outfield still in good shape, the loss of Tucker's impact bat in the lineup was mitigated by Bregman's addition.

But that's not the only reason for there to be plenty of confidence in the Cubs. Other than their lineup's improvement, the Cubs have a great rotation, and their defense will once again be great.

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While there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about the Cubs, there was one area where the team had a question to resolve. That lone question was with their bullpen, and specifically their closer.

That question is no more thanks to Daniel Palencia, who dominated for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He helped them win the tournament, and who's to say he can't help the Cubs do the same in the NL Central?

The Cubs have what it takes to be a World Series contender this season, and that's despite losing Tucker in free agency a year after spending Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith on him.

It was a big loss for the Cubs, but they rebounded nicely, and are overwhelmingly predicted by ESPN to win the division, and it's thanks to a combination of Bregman, Palencia, and the Cubs roster ready to make a playoff run in 2026 under Counsell.

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