The AL Central, from the vantage point of the pre-season, looks to be a three team race again this season. The Twins, White Sox, and Tigers all have good shots at taking the division this year, with the Twins and the White Sox on the inner track. Outside of the race track are the Indians and the Royals who are left struggling again this season, and will need a lot of surprises on each of their squads to come away with the division title.
Minnesota Twins:
The Twins play through tough positions often, and generally come out well, which is why I hardly ever worry about them. Last season they were without one of their best batters, played in a new ballpark and Mauer struggled with power all season, yet they still ended the season in first place. Their pitching is also solid. If they stay healthy, they will be in the driver seat for the division crown.
Chicago White Sox:
The White Sox will make things very interesting in the division. They have also have a solid rotation, and the addition of Dunn will add some much needed pop into this offense. If the bats gel together at the start of the season, they could have one of those classic AL Central races where they change 1-2 with the Twins all year long.
Detroit Tigers:
As of now the Tigers are looking in, and that is only because they were at .500 last season. They can easily take this division this season. Victor Martinez rounds out their lineup nicely, and if the the lineup doesn't fall back to injuries like last year, then they can cause a lot of noise. The key player for me here is Brad Penny. If Penny surprises in the rotation, then they will have another key weapon to push back the Sox and Twins.
Cleveland Indians:
The Indians are held back by their rotation. Their lineup could be dangerous, but doesn't seem that bad when after Carmona, the rest of the rotation just isn't that proven yet. They really didn't add much this year, so things look bleak.
Kansas City Royals:
Things just look bad here. The key bat addition is Frenchy, then things are definitely looking bad. The real problem for the Royals is the starting rotation. They traded away Grienke and they also lost Meche to retirement. Things aren't so bad with this team though. The farm system is ridiculous. In other words, it is a box of chocolates. If a lot of the young guys matriculate to the big leagues, who knows what will happen.
