The St. Louis Cardinals haven't been relevant in the NL Central picture since their magical 2022 season, and at the outset of a rebuild, that figures to be the case for some time.
Right now, the division belongs to the Milwaukee Brewers, who have four of the past five NL Central crowns. The Chicago Cubs are also involved in the race, though their whittling core might send them tumbling back down the standings in short order.
And then there's the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates, neither of whom has won the division since 2012.