Warning: If you’re an NL Central homer, this article (like the current standings in that division) probably will burn your eyes out.

For the past few seasons, the NL West has taken the dubious name of the worst division in baseball. Much to the West’s glee, that title has been passed on to the NL Central, a division that has the team that spent $136 million this off season, the defending World Series champions, and only one team (the Milwaukee Brewers) over .500. Remarkable.

Believe it or not, the Milwaukee Brewers had the best record in baseball at one point this year. It was too good to be true. Since that point, the Brewers have slid and only won 10 of their last 29 games. Welcome back to earth, Milwaukee. Yet, despite the Brewers struggles over the past month, the rest of the division has been just as bad, if not worse. It took a Zambrano sucker punch and a Piniella ejection to get the Cubs going again, but the big spending Cubs are still seven games under .500, though sitting in third place but only a half game back of the Cardinals. Alfonso Soriano has decided that he wants to hit, but with the money that the Cubs have invested in him I would imagine that they would have preferred he started swinging the bat in April like everyone else.

The World Champion St Louis Cardinals continued their former 2002 Anaheim Angels circle jerk the other day when they signed Troy Percival to a minor league deal. Percival, who was once lights out, won’t do much beyond helping that bullpen. The problem that the Cardinals face is that they can’t get a lead to the bullpen because their starting pitching is atrocious. So much for that Anthony Reyes experiment. Before his ass got sent down, he was 0-7 with an ERA over 7. Mark Mulder can’t come back fast enough. And how about the productivity lack of offense from Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen so far this year. Do these guys even care anymore?

The Houston Astros have been a major disappointment to some, but here at Sportable we gazed into our crystal ball and predicted the ‘Stros would lay an egg this year. Despite spending $100 million to lure Carlos Lee to town, the rest of the Astros lineup has been the definition of disappointment. Craig Biggio hasn’t hit at all this year, Lance Berkman’s fat ass is struggling, and the rest of that lineup can’t seem to score enough runs to support Roy Oswalt, the only pitcher worth a damn on that team. Woody Williams has to rank with Jeff Weaver as one of the major off season signings that has flopped this year. Woodrow is 2-8 with an ERA over 5. That’s not gonna work.

I’m obligated to write about the Pirates and Reds, though doing this goes against my morals and my will. For the Bucs, Jason Bay has finally started to hit. That won’t save them from their 26-37 record, but it’ll help. Count on the Pirates as one of those teams that other teams circle for an easy series, and then when the Pirates come to town they give the other team fits for three games. Thats just how Pittsburgh is. The Reds resemble more of a natural disaster than a real team right now. You may not know it, but Ken Griffey is finally having a Ken Griffey year again. Those bats won’t save that team from the atrocity that is that pitching staff. Bronson Arroyo can’t buy run support, and Kyle Lohse showed a sign of improvement before completely self destructing. He’s just not that good. Aaron Harang is about the only real reason to follow the Reds, and even he’s having a rough year. For Cincy, it’s just a matter of time before they blow that roster up and start over again. That time will come, and I’ll go ahead and make a prediction that it happens before the July 31st trading deadline.

There’s still time for teams to get hot in this division, but don’t count on it. This division is rough, and unlike in years past, other teams around the league can look forward to an NL Central swing as opposed to dreading it.