NL Central vs AL Central: Which Division is Historically More Successful?

With the Chicago teams occupying a place in each of the National League Central and American League central, we wanted to look at how each stacks up against one another. Yes, the NL teams will be much stronger historically, but does that change when we look at the numbers since, say, 2000?

The AL Central and NL Central have both produced champions, aces, and elite gold glove winners, but the NL Central has the stronger top-end résumé in World Series history and total awards. The AL Central, meanwhile, has often been shallower overall but has quietly produced a surprising number of Cy Young winners and some of the most successful small‑market runs of the 21st century.

The Divisions and Their Franchises

The AL Central currently consists of the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins. The NL Central is home to the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and St. Louis Cardinals.

These lineups have been mostly stable since the late 1990s, with the Milwaukee Brewers the key pivot franchise, moving from the AL Central into the NL Central in 1998 as part of realignment. That history matters when comparing totals, just as it would when playing casino games or betting on the World Series. Some of the Brewers’ earlier achievements technically belong to the AL Central’s past while their more recent seasons count toward the NL Central.

World Series Championships

World Series titles are where the NL Central’s star power really shows through, thanks largely to the Cardinals and Cubs. By contrast, the AL Central spreads its rings across more franchises, but none approach St. Louis’ historic volume.

World Series Titles by Franchise (all-time)

AL Central

• Detroit Tigers: 4 titles (1935, 1945, 1968, 1984).
• Chicago White Sox: 3 titles (1906, 1917, 2005).
• Minnesota Twins (including Washington Senators lineage): 3 titles (1924, 1987, 1991).
• Kansas City Royals: 2 titles (1985, 2015).
• Cleveland Guardians/Indians: 2 titles (1920, 1948).
• Combined AL Central total: 14 World Series championships.

NL Central

• St. Louis Cardinals: 11 titles (1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011).
• Cincinnati Reds: 5 titles (1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990).
• Pittsburgh Pirates: 5 titles (1909, 1925, 1960, 1971, 1979).
• Chicago Cubs: 3 titles (1907, 1908, 2016).
• Milwaukee Brewers: 0 titles.
• Combined NL Central total: 24 World Series championships.

What That Means

The NL Central has a significantly larger historical championship footprint, driven by the Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates, all of whom built dynasties in different eras.

The AL Central, while behind in raw count, has more parity: four of its five teams have won at least two titles and all five have won at least once since 1985 if you include the Twins’ earlier Senators title in the lineage.

An example: from 2005–2015, the AL Central produced three champions (White Sox 2005, Royals 2015, plus the 2014 Royals AL pennant), while the NL Central in that same stretch leaned heavily on St. Louis’ 2006 and 2011 runs and the Cardinals’ perennial contention.

Combined Records Since 2000

To compare the divisions on modern performance, you can look at each team’s aggregate record since 2000 and sum within each division. Exact division totals require adding every franchise’s wins and losses over more than 4,000 games per club, but the broad picture is clear from team-level records and rankings.

StatMuse and similar databases rank St. Louis among the best records in MLB since 2000, with the Cardinals appearing in the top handful of franchises by wins and winning percentage over that span. Cleveland also grades out very well, ranking in the top group of teams in cumulative record since 2000 among AL clubs.

Modern Performance Profile

NL Central since 2000

Cardinals: one of the league’s elite long-term regular-season teams, consistently above .540 in many seasons and near the top in cumulative wins.

Cubs, Brewers: multiple strong playoff windows (Cubs culminating in 2016, Brewers built around pitching in the 2010s–2020s) that push the division’s aggregate record above water.

Reds and Pirates: more volatile, with deep rebuilds offsetting competitive stretches like Pittsburgh’s 2013–2015 runs and Cincinnati’s early-2010s and 2020 playoff appearances.

Overall, the presence of a true powerhouse in St. Louis and repeated competitive cycles in Chicago and Milwaukee give the NL Central a strong combined winning record since 2000.

AL Central since 2000

Guardians (Indians): quietly one of the winningest clubs in MLB this century, powered by multiple division titles and strong run prevention; they rank high in cumulative record since 2000.

Twins: several playoff teams, especially mid‑2000s and late‑2010s, but also recent down cycles that flatten their overall win rate.

Tigers: huge peaks (2006–2014) with AL pennants and deep playoff runs, offset by lengthy rebuild years in the late 2010s.

Royals and White Sox: both have notable highs (Kansas City’s 2014–2015 pennants and title, Chicago’s 2005 championship and 2021 division win) surrounded by long stretches of sub‑.500 seasons that drag down the division’s combined record.

Because Cleveland’s strong record is weighed against weaker long-term results from Kansas City and, more recently, the White Sox, the AL Central’s aggregate since 2000 tends to lag behind the NL Central’s, which has more consistently competitive teams at the top.

Cy Young Award Winners

Cy Young Award history gives another angle on pitching excellence in the two divisions. While the data are organized year-by-year by league, it’s straightforward to tally each current franchise’s winners.

AL Central Franchises

From the official Cy Young history and consolidated team lists, AL Central clubs have produced multiple winners across eras. Examples include:

Cleveland (Guardians/Indians): Gaylord Perry (1972), CC Sabathia (2007), Cliff Lee (2008), Corey Kluber (2014, 2017), among others.

Detroit Tigers: Denny McLain (1968, 1969), Willie Hernández (1984), Justin Verlander (2011), Max Scherzer (2013), Tarik Skubal (2024).

Minnesota Twins: Jim Perry (1970), Frank Viola (1988), Johan Santana (2004, 2006).

Kansas City Royals: Bret Saberhagen (1985, 1989), David Cone (1994), Zack Greinke (2009).

Chicago White Sox: LaMarr Hoyt (1983), Jack McDowell (1993).

Even without listing every winner, this shows that all five AL Central franchises have produced Cy Young‑caliber pitching, and several (Cleveland, Detroit, Minnesota, Kansas City) have multiple winners.

NL Central Franchises

NL Central teams are similarly well-represented on the Cy Young rolls. Illustrative names include:

St. Louis Cardinals: Bob Gibson (1968, 1970), Chris Carpenter (2005), and other award seasons in franchise history.

Chicago Cubs: Ferguson Jenkins (1971), Rick Sutcliffe (1984), Jake Arrieta (2015), among others.

Cincinnati Reds: Tom Seaver (1979), reliever Eric Gagné–type seasons elsewhere in NL history as comparisons, plus earlier winners with the franchise.

Pittsburgh Pirates: winners from the classic pitching eras, including seasons in the 1960s–1970s.

Milwaukee Brewers: AL-side winners in the early 1980s (Rollie Fingers 1981, Pete Vuckovich 1982) when they were still in the American League, plus more recent NL‑side pitching peaks without necessarily translating to more awards.

Both divisions, in short, have deep Cy Young pedigrees, but the AL Central’s recent decades stand out: Kluber, Verlander, Scherzer, Greinke, Santana, and others give the AL Central a particularly rich 21st‑century Cy Young profile.

Gold Glove Defenders

Gold Glove totals are trickier to aggregate exactly by division, but team-level data highlight key trends. The most important single fact in this comparison is that the St. Louis Cardinals — an NL Central team — lead MLB in all‑time Gold Gloves by franchise.

Defensive Reputation by Division

NL Central

• Cardinals: most Gold Glove awards of any team, underscoring a sustained emphasis on elite defense across eras.​
• Cubs, Reds, Pirates, Brewers: have produced notable individual winners at various positions, including Gold Glove infields in Chicago and Pittsburgh and strong defensive outfields in Milwaukee’s competitive runs.
• With the Cardinals’ massive total anchoring the division, the NL Central grades very well on historical Gold Glove volume.

AL Central

• Guardians/Indians and Twins: long histories of plus defenders, especially in up-the-middle spots; multiple Gold Gloves have gone to Cleveland and Minnesota in recent decades.
• Royals: reached their 2014–2015 peak in large part because of run prevention, and that core included several Gold Glove–level fielders.
• Tigers and White Sox: have produced individual Gold Glovers but do not approach the Cardinals’ franchise volume.

While the AL Central has had outstanding defensive teams in specific years — the mid‑2010s Royals are the best modern example — the NL Central’s cumulative Gold Glove footprint is heavier, primarily due to St. Louis’ all‑time lead.

Big-picture comparison

Putting all four categories together paints a consistent picture.

World Series history:

NL Central clearly ahead in total titles (24 vs. 14), with the Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates pushing that edge.

Combined record since 2000:

NL Central benefits from St. Louis’ elite consistency plus competitive runs from the Cubs and Brewers, while the AL Central’s strong Guardians/Twins/Tigers years are dragged down by prolonged slumps in Kansas City and Chicago.

Cy Young winners:

Both divisions are rich in award-winning pitching, but the AL Central’s 21st‑century run of aces makes it especially prominent in recent memory.

Gold Gloves: NL Central’s edge is anchored by the Cardinals’ all‑time leading total of Gold Gloves, though several AL Central clubs have produced standout defensive cores in specific eras.

For a reader, the simplest takeaway is this: the NL Central looks stronger in historical hardware and sustained winning, but the AL Central has punched above its weight in modern pitching awards and produced some of the most memorable small‑market success stories of the last 25 years.

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