American League Central
1. Detroit Tigers
The Tigers have won the AL Central four consecutive times, but their starting rotation was gutted as Max Scherzer signed a giant contract with the Washington Nationals. They still have David Price as their starting ace though. Anibal Sanchez is consistent and still has plenty of juice left as long as he can stay healthy.
Justin Verlander’s best days are clearly behind him as he had a 4.54 ERA last year with only 159 strikeouts. However, the Tigers will benefit if the 2011 AL MVP can prove his 2014 season was a mirage. Former Cincinnati Red Alfredo Simon should provide a solid No. 4 starter as well.
Their bullpen remains their biggest question mark with 40-year-old closer Joe Nathan reeling, but the hitting will be even better as young outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was acquired in a trade. First baseman Miguel Cabrera, designated hitter Victor Martinez, second baseman Ian Kinsler and outfielder J.D. Martinez are all capable of hitting at least 20 home runs too.
The Tigers are not a trendy pick to win the Central, but there’s no denying the power in their lineup and the remaining talent in their rotation despite the loss of Scherzer.
2. Cleveland Indians
The Indians have become a popular pick to win the Central. Their starting pitching offers upside with Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco leading the way. However, Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar still need to prove that they are in fact capable of being All-Star caliber starters. Salazar will begin the season in Triple-A though. Cody Allen is primed to be the closer, and he showed plenty of All-Star potential with 24 saves last season.
Their hitting has been upgraded with the addition of Brandon Moss, who can hit 25 home runs but will strike out frequently. Outfielder Michael Brantley will be hard-pressed to repeat his MVP-caliber season, but he remains a reliable hitter with moderate power.
First baseman Carlos Santana also offers plenty of power along with catcher Yan Gomes, and second baseman Jason Kipnis can only get better as he will look to prove he can be a 20-20 hitter. Manager Terry Francona will make them a respectable team whether they can live up to high expectations or not.
3. Kansas City Royals
The Royals had many things go their way as they surprisingly made it to the World Series. They fell short by losing Game 7, and it will be hard for them to repeat their success after losing pitching ace James Shields to the San Diego Padres. Outfielder Nori Aoki will be a bigger loss than fans think, as his defense and speed was valuable to the Royals in their postseason run.
The outfield remains solid though with Lorenzo Cain providing speed, and Alex Gordon offers moderate power. Alex Rios is 34 years old but can still be a decent hitter. Shortstop Alcides Escobar will be relied upon to steal bases, and third baseman Mike Moustakas is still being waited upon to break out. Catcher Salvador Perez will have his workload lightened, which should help his production.
The pitching staff remains strong with World Series hero Yordano Ventura primed to step up as the ace, but Danny Duffy and Edinson Volquez will need to prove that they can step up in bigger roles.
The bullpen has a scary trio in closer Greg Holland with Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera. The offense will not be able to hang with the Tigers though, and the team has not made any significant upgrades to make another World Series run.
4. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox were able to make their starting rotation better by trading for Jeff Samardzija, and he will pair with ace Chris Sale. However, the oft-injured Sale will begin the season on the 15-day DL. Sale’s injury woes are worth it though since he can notch 200 strikeouts and keep his ERA between two and three.
Closer David Robertson upgrades the bullpen, but the rotation still has questions to answer since John Danks and Hector Noesi have not proven to be consistently reliable. Nevertheless, their top three(Sale, Samardzija, Jose Quintana) make up a dangerous rotation.
The lineup is filled with young players like second baseman Micah Johnson and third baseman Conor Gillaspie. Center fielder Adam Eaton will hit leadoff and is a threat to steal any time he reaches first.
Designated hitter Adam LaRoche is a steady power presence, and first baseman Jose Abreu will be an even more serious MVP candidate if the White Sox become a contender. That will be at least another year though since the White Sox are simply too inexperienced and outmatched by other AL Central teams.
5. Minnesota Twins
It doesn’t need to be said how bad the Twins are, and starting pitcher Ervin Santana being suspended 80 games for PED use doesn’t help matters either. Phil Hughes is their unquestioned No. 1 pitcher since Ricky Nolasco is nowhere near what they expected, and the rest of their rotation offers no reassurance after compiling a 5.06 ERA last season.
The lineup has a power hitter in second baseman Brian Dozier, and 39-year-old outfielder Torii Hunter is back to finish his career. His leadership is excellent, but it can only take a talentless team like the Twins so far.
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