Well, it’s time for the third installment of our weekly countdown series known simply as “3 Up & 3 Down.” So if you’re new to the Baseball Banter Broadcast, 3 Up & 3 Down is our weekly examination of three teams playing well, three teams that aren’t. And we add in a team to “Be On the Look Out” for (or BOLO) just for good measure. So let’s examine “week two” of 3 Up & 3 Down.

FIRST UP: ATLANTA BRAVES (45-21)

The Atlanta Braves have been arguably the best and most well rounded team in Major League Baseball this season. And the fact that they boast the best record in baseball is just the first part of the required proof of such a claim. Breaking down what the Braves have been doing would require a whole ‘nother article to do it justice. However, if you simply look at the microcosm of the last ten games and the fact that the Braves have gone 8-2 over that stretch is just a small sample of how good this team has been this season. Every aspect from plus starting pitching to an incredible backend of the bullpen to having a clutch hitter or three to be able to bring it all together. This is exactly what Atlanta is boasting at this point in the season. And nothing seems poises to slow them down.

FIRST DOWN: CINCINNATI REDS (31-33)

It was not long ago that the National League Central could boast that they were the only division in MLB that possessed teams that were all over a .500 record. However, that is no longer the case as the Cincinnati Reds have recently hit the skids. Over their last ten games, Cincy has gone 2-8 and are in the throws of a four-game losing streak. Such a skid has now dropped the Reds two games under .500 the season. And while there is still a lot of time left in the season for them to rebound, it’s getting late early, as Yogi Berra used to say. Not to mention the fact that the Reds’ superstar player Elly De La Cruz is now on the Injured List with a hamstring injury, that leaves things feeling a little bleak in the Queen City.

SECOND UP: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (35-30)

The 2026 season has been a tale of two seasons. Like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the Phillies have been a different team since Don Mattingly took over the reigns from Rob Thompson as the Phillies’ manager. Since that time the Phillies have made the kind of impressive strides that were expected to be had by this team from the beginning of the season. Over their last ten games, the Phillies have gone 7-3 and closed the gap between them and a postseason berth to nonexistent. If the postseason were to begin today, Philadelphia would have a spot. The Phillies have also narrowed the gap in their run differential marker to only being -19, a mark that if they continue to play as they have been could be in the positives by next week at this time.

SECOND DOWN: PITTSBURGH PIRATES (34-32)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are without a doubt team in the NL Central that has surprised people so far in 2026. However, their recent stretch has not fared quite as well as they would’ve liked or as it was in their hot start to the season. The biggest question facing the team is their seeming inability to win on days started by their unquestioned ace, Paul Skenes. While it’s far too early to claim this a detrimental fact of the season, it’s happened far too often to be a coincidence. Maybe the thoughts are that they take a mental day off because of believing in their ace’s ability to get outs and that lack of drive reflects on the field. Or it could be some other possibility all together as to why it seems the Pirates are incapable of winning a Skenes start. That being said, the overall progress shown thus far this season must being seen as positive aspect for the Buccos. However, looking at the last ten games sample size, the Pirates are 5-5, which on it’s own wouldn’t necessarily typically include them on this countdown, however, breaking it down a little bit further, you’d see the Pirates were just swept by the red hot Braves. And with as must as the Pirates have postseason aspirations, the realization of the playoff bound Braves exposed something is lacking in Pittsburgh. And it’s that killer instinct, if they can turn it around and find that killer within, then the Pirates can potentially make the postseason run fans in Pittsburgh have been hoping for since the mid 2010’s.

THIRD UP: MILWAUKEE BREWERS (40-23)

Keeping the trend of the NL Central teams continues with the red hot Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers have quietly been one of baseball’s best teams for basically the last decade. And the 2026 season is no different, as they currently are the number one team in arguably baseball’s most competitive division. The NL Central as we mentioned earlier about the Reds were the only ones still boasting every team over .500 even as recently as a few days ago. Milwaukee has been playing strong baseball and they themselves are coming off sweeping the Rockies in Colorado. The Brewers have the third best record in the Majors behind the Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. And nothing looks poised to knock them down off their pedestal.

THIRD DOWN: COLORADO ROCKIES (24-42)

The offseason leading into the 2026 season was always seen as a rebuilding one for the Rockies. And sadly for fans of Colorado, the Rox have not been able to shed that expectation. Over their last ten games, the Rockies have gone 4-6 but the reason they find themselves on this list is that the Rockies have dropped their last four straight games. Colorado is going to be a team that will be an intriguing watch after the offseason shakeup in the front office. They are operating under new direction and guidance and it will take time for them to right the ship. But for now, they still remain a struggling entity and on our down list for this countdown.

BE ON LOOKOUT FOR (BOLO): ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (35-28)

And rounding out what has felt like a complete breakdown of the current goings on in the NL Central, we bring up our team to be on the lookout for in the St. Louis Cardinals. St Louis was a team coming into the season that was viewed as a half step up from the Colorado Rockies, but nevertheless a rebuilding team. However, as the season commenced that was not how the team on the field operated. It was as if the league’s memo that the Cardinals were supposed to be bad this season never reached the clubhouse. And over their recent ten game stretch, St Lous has gone 6-4 and have won four straight contests. It’s for this reason, that they are the team we are watching out for this week. The Cardinals are playing with house’s money as they were not expected to compete this season. The 2026 campaign was merely supposed to be a showcase internally for what they had in house before making a decision on the direction of the organization. That being said, if they continue to play this level of baseball the team will need to become active buyers on the trade market for a postseason push. Because if the postseason were the Cardinals would have the number on Wildcard spot and host a home postseason series.