NL Central

The Cincinnati Reds are 17-5 in their last 22 games against the Chicago Cubs, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks on Friday as the two teams open up a three-game series at the Great American Ball Park.

The 2013 MLB Draft is rapidly approaching as only 16 days remain until the draft kicks off on June 6 in MLB Network's Studio 42 in Secaucus, New Jersey.

The Chicago Cubs hold the second pick in the 2013 draft, following the Houston Astros. Pitching is always a concern, and the Cubs will have no shortage of pitching choices in 2013.

Here is a look at three pitchers the Cubs should target in the 2013 draft.

The Milwaukee Brewers are mired in a Catch-22 with Rickie Weeks. The 30-year-old second baseman is flatlining on a club that was expected to contend heavily in the National League Central division. Instead, the Brewers are more than 10 games out of first place with a record of 16-24.

Concerning the Brew Crew's woes, there is plenty of blame to throw around.

The St. Louis Cardinals entered the quarter-season mark of 2013 with the best record in baseball.

To say that exceeds the expectations of some is quite the understatement. Many, arguably most, baseball writers had the Cincinnati Reds picked as clear favorites to win the National League Central Division.

Dusty Baker's Reds currently own the third-best record in the National League, 2.5 games behind the Cardinals and one full game behind San Francisco.

The St. Louis Cardinals certainly have no shortage of young star pitching prospects in their farm system. Shelby Miller sat at the top of that list of prospects coming into this season, and he has done an outstanding job fitting into a starting rotation that is arguably the best in the entire MLB right now.

The St. Louis Cardinals will not have reigning National League saves king Jason Motte as their closer at any point during the 2013 season. 

Coming into the 2013 season, Cincinnati Reds fans expected Johnny Cueto, not Mat Latos, to contend for the National League Cy Young. With an injury to the ace, things have changed in a hurry.

Baseball's best rivalry will be on display Tuesday night when the Cincinnati Reds take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. 

The season series is tied 2-2, and the winner of this game could move ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates atop the NL Central. The Reds have won back-to-back games on the road for the first time all season, but the Cardinals have dropped their past three home games.

While the Chicago Cubs didn’t head into the 2013 season with the expectation that this would definitely be a rebuilding season, they knew it was at least a reasonable possibility—one that’s looking more likely after an 8-14 start.