What to Watch as Brewers, Cubs Renew NL Central Rivalry

The Milwaukee Brewers will face off against one of their biggest rivals this week.

Apr 29, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the third inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers will begin their most interesting series of the season so far on Monday night on the road.

Milwaukee will face off against the Chicago Cubs on the road at Wrigley Field with the first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT. Right now, the Cubs are in first place in the National League Central and the Brewers are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for second place. Both the Brewers and the Cardinals are 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs for first place.

Somehow, this is the first time the Brewers and Cubs are facing off during the 2026 season.

Pitching Preview

May 13, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) reacts after retiring the side in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Monday: Brandon Sproat (MIL) vs. Shota Imanaga (CHC) — 6:40 p.m. CDT

Tuesday: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs. Ben Brown (CHC) — 6:40 p.m. CDT

Wednesday: Kyle Harrison (MIL) vs. Edward Cabrera (CHC) — 6:40 p.m. CDT

It's certainly going to be an interesting series between these two teams with good pitching matchups each night. Sproat has shown some serious flashes as a rookie so far in 2026. Misiorowski looks like a legit National League Cy Young Award contender. Harrison has been one of the biggest steals of the year with a 2.09 ERA in eight starts.

Imanaga is a star and is pitching like it. He has made nine starts so far this season and has a 2.32 ERA in 54 1/3 innings pitched. Brown has made 14 appearances so far this season, including two starts, and has a 1.60 ERA. Cabrera was a big offseason addition, but has a 4.06 ERA in his first nine starts for Chicago.

Brewers/Cubs Trends

Apr 10, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich (22) warms up in the team's new City Connect uniform before game against the Washington Nationals at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Brewers and Cubs are two of the best teams in the league in general, but Milwaukee is trending better right now. Milwaukee has won eight of its last 10 games and recently got Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn and Christian Yelich all back in the lineup. On the other hand, the Cubs are 4-6 over their last 10 games and have lost two straight heading into Monday's series opener against the Brewers.

If the Brewers can sweep the Cubs, they would flip positions in the standings with Chicago. Right now, the Brewers are 1 1/2 games behind Chicago. If Milwaukee gets the sweep, it would be 1 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs by the time the series ends. If the Brewers win two and lose one, they would leave the series a half-game behind the Cubs in the standings.

The Brewers should have the upper hand here right now, especially if the club can stay healthy throughout the series. If the Brewers keep pitching like they have and there aren't any more setbacks with guys like Chourio, Yelich or Vaughn, Milwaukee should have a very good chance to win the series.