Detroit saw its pitching staff lead the way to the postseason again, while the postseason saw something of a surprising entrant in the Indians as a Wild Card. The rest of the division might not really be in a position to make a run, but you never know. I was way wrong about Cleveland last year. Hopefully I won't be as wrong this time around.
2013: 93-69 (1st in AL Central), Lost in ALCS; 2 wins above COAS Prediction.
The class of the division once again starts and ends with their rotation. Max Scherzer took over the horse's share of the work last season, but when your team has Justin Verlander, he's still your ace. The addition of Anibal Sanchez is a major boost as well, giving this team the best staff in the Central. The offense is pretty good too. They traded away Prince Fielder to Texas for Ian Kinsler, who a lot of Ranger fans were happy to see go, but I think Kinsler brings a balanced bat to the lineup. There are plenty of other solid bats to go around, and that Miguel Cabrera guy is pretty good, I suppose.
2014 Prediction: 92-70
2013: 92-70 (2nd in AL Central), Lost in AL Wild Card Game; 23 wins above COAS Prediction.
I messed up in a few places when I predicted last year. This was one of the most egregious. Cleveland was a lot like Oakland, in that they really don't have a lot of "star power", per se. Jason Kipnis and Michael Bourn are probably their two best guys, but everyone else fits in, knows their role, and executes it to perfection. Their pitching is pretty good though, with Justin Masterson leading the way of a decent rotation without a lot of name recognition, at least for me. They'll be in the hunt again this year, but I'm not thinking playoffs this time around.
2014 Prediction: 84-78
2013: 86-76 (3rd in AL Central), Missed playoffs; 6 wins above COAS Prediction.
In my original draft I had the Royals a lot lower, but I forgot that they had a pretty successful 2013 campaign. When you add to that the fact that James Shields now pitches for them, they're going to be in contention with a pretty good rotation. The addition of Norichika Aoki is a pretty good move as well for their offense. He'll add some speed at the top, but they're going to need major contributions from their key guys. Billy Butler only had a so-so 2013, so they need him, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas to do really well to have a shot here.
2014 Prediction: 82-80
2013: 66-96 (4th in AL Central), Missed playoffs; 1 win above COAS Prediction.
I almost had the Twins third in my original draft before actually looking at last season's results. The Twins did go spend money though in the offseason, adding rotation pieces like Ricky Nolasco. They've finally made the major position move a few years in the making though, as Joe Mauer will finally play full time at first base to extend his career. There are other decent offensive pieces in place, but there's also a lot of youth who I'm not totally sold on. This team will be a little better with decent pitching, but they won't be a playoff threat.
2014 Prediction: 74-88
2013: 63-99 (5th in AL Central), Missed playoffs; 22 wins below COAS Prediction.
When you underestimate some teams, you're bound to overestimate some to make up for it. The White Sox were one of the latter. Their rotation is going to be decent this year, especially since Chris Sale is one of the best lefties in baseball. There's a major youth movement going on this year under GM Rick Hahn, and something they're calling more of a reload than a rebuild. New first baseman Jose Abreu is an intriguing name to keep an eye on, as he takes the reigns from the farewell-touring Paul Konerko. This team will probably go through some growing pains this year, but they'll also know after this season where they need to develop or fill holes.
2014 Prediction: 70-92
I'm ready to head out to the East Coast next. Tomorrow I'll delve into the NL East, and probably take another (unprovoked, but completely justified) potshot at Jeff Loria.
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