National League Central
Chicago Cubs: Shota Imanaga, SP
Shota Imanaga is the under-the-radar Japanese star of a 2024 season which has featured multiple breakout performers from the Land of the Rising Sun. I seriously hope the Backyard Baseball developers find a way to put his “Go Cubs Go” audio from his opening press conference into the game.
Cincinnati Reds: Elly De La Cruz, SS
Elly De La Cruz is simply a freak of nature, and he is somebody the Cincinnati Reds need to build around for a long time. His stolen base total is more than 50% higher than the next highest, and it’s the end of August.
Milwaukee Brewers: William Contreras, C
William Contreras has emerged as one of the league’s best and most consistent catchers on a team that was supposed to take a step back in 2024 but has instead emerged as one of the National League’s top contenders.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Paul Skenes, SP
Paul Skenes took MLB by storm when he was finally called up from Triple-A in May, and it took only half a dozen starts for him to be among the top three betting favorites for the NL Cy Young Award. He has everything it takes to be very good for a very long time.
St. Louis Cardinals: Alec Burleson, OF
In a lineup headlined by veteran sluggers Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, it is Alec Burleson who has emerged as the Cardinals’ new biggest deep threat.
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