2021 AL Central Preview

Day two of my set of previews for the upcoming MLB season is underway!

Yesterday I covered both East divisions, and I'm working my way west over the next couple days. Since our champion came from out west, I'm saving them for tomorrow, which means I'm staying close to home today.

Starting things off, let's look at the American League Central.

2019 MLB Preview: AL Central

We're halfway through the MLB preview series for 2019! Thursday everyone except the Mariners and A's open the season (since they played a pair in Japan already), so I'm working my way through the league early this week to be ready for Opening Day.

Earlier today I touched on my home division in the NL Central, so this afternoon we flip leagues and head over to the American League to see how the Central shapes up.

2018 MLB Preview: AL Central

We're onto the second preview of the day as we pass the halfway point of a look at the 2018 Major League Baseball season. I've condensed the process down this year to three days instead of six, going through two divisions a day. Tomorrow I'll look at the west coast.

I got a look this morning at my most familiar division. Today, I go to my second most familiar division as we stay in the Midwest and take a look at the AL Central.

2017 MLB Preview: AL Central

After four days out towards the coasts, we're finally back in the nation's heartland as I continue my series of MLB previews. Sunday night sees the start of the Major League season, while Monday is the beginning of the MLB Tournament of Champions, my very ambitious project for the year.

As we make our final geographic move, let's swap leagues again and take a look at the AL Central. Let's note though, that both wild cards are taken.

2016 MLB Predictions: AL Central

Happy Opening Day! All of the doldrums from winter can fade away now with the beginning of another spring and summer at the ballpark.

I've previewed five divisions, following my practice of saving the division with the World Series champion for last. I've also handed out all four wild card berths for my set of predictions, so only one team today is making the playoffs. Without further ado, here are my predictions for the AL Central.

2015 MLB Preview: AL Central

We're onto Day 3 of the series of MLB previews. In the last two days we've been out east, and now we're moving west towards the center of the country.

Today we're back in the American League looking at the Central division.  If you want to refer back to last year's predictions, which, overall, weren't too shabby for the division, you can find them here.

Let's take a look.

2013 MLB Preview: AL Central

We're finally to teams that I know a little bit more about since we're back to the Central divisions this week. Just a few years ago, the AL Central was hailed as one of the best divisions top to bottom in baseball. Now... not so much.

AL Central
Last year I did pick the division winner right, for what it's worth, but I whiffed quite a bit on how everyone else played out. Teams surprise and disappoint every year, but hopefully this year I can be a little more on point (as I'm pretty sure I've said every day so far this week... maybe I'm just not as good a prognosticator as I would like to be).

1. Detroit Tigers
2012: 88-74, 1st in AL Central, lost in World Series
The lineup has a little different look to it this year with Torii Hunter returning to the division and Delmon Young moving on, but you still have that dangerous heart of the order with Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, now backed up by a healthy Victor Martinez. The starting rotation is really scary top to bottom again this year, anchored by some Verlander guy who from what I hear is really, really good.
2013 Projection: 91-71

2. Chicago White Sox 
2012: 85-77, 2nd in AL Central
This team surprised me and pretty much all of Chicago by being pretty good for most of the year before falling off the table in September. I think the rotation has a chance to be good, and the lineup has a good blend of youth and veteran talent. I asked resident Sox expert Geoffy what he thinks about this South Side team.

"The team's future is just as important as its present, so an all-around effort will be needed if they want to stay with Detroit and an improved Cleveland."

I think they can provide that all-around effort to an extent, though I'm not as worried about Cleveland as Geoffy is. This will be a good, competitive team, but not quite to Detroit's level.
2013 Projection: 85-77  

3. Kansas City Royals
2012: 72-90, 3rd in AL Central
Kansas City has been awful for as long as I can remember, but they've slowly been building up talent and now have a pretty good pitching staff to go with a good young lineup. Guys like Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas might not be elite in any sense, but they can put up some good numbers and keep this Kansas City team relevant.
2013 Projection: 80-82

4. Cleveland Indians
2012: 68-94, 4th in AL Central
Cleveland still has that decent 1-2 punch in the rotation with Masterson and Jiminez, but there's a lot of youth in that lineup now that Travis Hafner and Shin Soo Choo aren't with the team. The presence of Michael Bourn will certainly be a boost, and the bullpen isn't bad, but compared to the rest of the division, I just don't think this team can compete.
2013 Projection: 69-93

5. Minnesota Twins
2012: 66-96, 5th in AL Central
After getting rid of top of the order talent in Denard Span and Ben Revere, there's barely anything left on this team other Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Scott Diamond will help bolster a thin rotation when he returns from the 15 day DL, and another season of Josh Willingham is a good thing, but it's going to be another rough season at Target Field with so much youth out there.
2013 Projection: 65-97

We're halfway through the divisions. Tomorrow I'll look at how my team will do in 2013 compared with the rest of a decent division.