At the season's one-third point, let's look at what the Central's standings would look like if all that mattered were the runs scored and runs allowed:
| Team | Actual Record | RS | RA | Pythag Record |
| Milwaukee | 33-24 | 268 | 246 | 31-26 |
| St. Louis | 31-26 | 249 | 240 | 30-27 |
| Chicago | 28-26 | 237 | 229 | 28-26 |
| Cincinnati | 29-27 | 247 | 241 | 29-27 |
| Pittsburgh | 26-30 | 247 | 247 | 28-28 |
| Houston | 25-30 | 230 | 259 | 24-31 |
Ours is a division that is pretty even..until you get to that team in last. From first to fifth, there is only a 2.5 game difference in Pythagorean record. The Pirates are underachieving, due in part to a 3-6 record in games decided by one run. St. Louis, Milwaukee and Houston are overachieving, but only slightly. Each of those teams has won one more game than they've lost in those one run contests. Defensively, the Brewers are the best in baseball in terms of UZR/150, so perhaps that has helped them outproduce their pythag record.