While so much attention has been heaped upon the Cubs and their rise as a challenger to the Cardinals’ decade-long dynastic hold on the National League Central, other division rivals are stocking up, too, and could be contenders in the coming years. To get a sense of what the division will look like in the year 2020, The Post-Dispatch reached out to baseball writers at major newspapers in the other four NL Central cities and asked for a lineup featuring the eight position players and the top three starters for the local team in 2020.

The guidelines were simple: Include any player who is under contract through 2020, under control through 2020, or is currently a leading prospect in the system.

The results reveal the direction each division team is headed, and how many of them are already populated with the young cores that will define the next several years.

CHICAGO CUBS