The Cleveland Indians seem like the main favorites. But can any team from this division compete for a Wild Card spot?
The AL Central, much like its NL counterpart, is one of the few divisions where there’s a clear favorite. In this case, the main candidates are the Cleveland Indians, who are coming off a heart-breaking 3-4 World Series loss against the Chicago Cubs last season.
The Indians certainly seem to have it all to make another deep playoff run. They have the rotation, the bullpen, and the lineup to become a threat in the American League. Let’s start with the pitching, as they have three capable starters such as Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. That’s enough to match toe-to-toe with any other team in the AL.
The bullpen has one of the most dominant relievers in all of baseball in Andrew Miller, but he’s not even a closer. That honor corresponds to Cody Allen, easily one of the best late-inning relievers in the Majors during the past year. But pitching isn’t everything, and the Indians have a deep lineup as well where Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and newcomer Edwin Encarnacion stand out above the rest.
Things become a bit blurry after the Indians, however. The Kansas City Royals and the Detroit Tigers are confusing, to say the least. They have pieces to contend for a playoff berth, but at the same time both seem to lack what’s needed to take the next step.
The Royals could have an edge over the Tigers, though. Kansas City reached the World Series in 2014 and won it all in 2015. There’s no question they are a talented team. But they had to deal with lots of injuries last year, and didn’t even make the playoffs. There’s hope, though.
A bounce-back season from Lorenzo Cain, and injury-free years from Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon would certainly give them a boost. And if we add the stellar play of Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez, then the Royals seem to look strong on paper. They also added Jorge Soler to add even more power to the lineup, but the rotation has some questions. And it remains to be seen how they will cope with the loss of Yordano Ventura, who tragically died in a car accident earlier this year.
As for the Tigers, they have an aging core that will likely have one last chance to make a title run. Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez aren’t getting any younger. It’s either playoffs or bust for them – but do they have enough pieces to contend? The lineup looks good, but they could use upgrades both in the rotation and the bullpen. Francisco Rodriguez and Michael Fulmer must repeat what they did in 2016 if Detroit wants to have a chance.
We also have the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins playing in the division. The White Sox started – once again – a rebuild, but this time patience could pay off. They traded some of their best players such as Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. However, now they have some of the best prospects in all of baseball. Players such as Reynaldo Lopez, Yoan Moncada and Lucas Giolito will feature for Chicago sooner than later.
They still have David Robertson – who could leave via trade during the Trade Deadline – and Jose Abreu. There are a few interesting pieces on the roster. However, 2017 is not going to be their year. But if their prospects progress as expected, then they will be a team worth watching in 2018.
The Twins don’t deserve a lot of analysis, to be honest. They have some nice prospects – Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano to name a few – and a talented second baseman who could net them a nice package back in Brian Dozier. But they need to continue the rebuild process they are locked in, and it’s clear they won’t be able to contend for, at least, a few more years.
Much like the NL Central, the main race here won’t be who wins the division. We all know the Indians are the clear favorites. It will be interesting to see what the Royals and Tigers do, as both will battle for a Wild Card spot. And the development of the White Sox’s prospects is worth watching as well. It’s going to be a very interesting year in the AL Central, that’s for sure.