The American League Central had three teams from their division make the playoffs in 2020, which was tied with the American League East for second-most in the league due to the expanded format. However similarly to the NL Central, this was due to the amount of mediocrity in the central divisions and not talent. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very talented players in this division. After all, Jose Abreu and Jose Ramirez came in the top three for AL MVP voting. Shane Bieber and Kenta Maeda came in the top three for AL Cy Young voting. Luis Robert and Rick Renteria each came in the top three for the AL ROY and Manager of the year awards, respectively. But would they have been in those positions after the 60 game sprint had they played against more talented teams such as the Dodgers, Padres, Rays, or Yankees? Maybe. But it would have been a much tougher road to get there. After significant moves made by even the lower tier teams in the division, as well as Cleveland losing a superstar in Francisco Lindor in a trade to the Mets, the division will certainly have a different look in 2021. With the possibility that four teams in this division could have records over .500 due to the fact that the AL Central plays the equally average NL Central, it will be an exciting race to watch. The White Sox looks to live up to the hype and have breakout seasons from young stars. The Twins look to keep their division crown and change their postseason narrative. The Indians try to move on from Francisco Lindor and look to their starting pitching staff to keep them alive in the divisional race. The Royals hope for bounce-back seasons from both newcomers from this offseason and lineup mainstays from a season ago. And the Tigers look to give their top prospects a taste of the big leagues while hoping Miguel Cabrera can inch closer to the 3,000 hit mark. The divisional race should be a fun one to watch in the AL Central, whatever the result may be.
First Place- Chicago White Sox
Notable Additions- Lance Lynn, Liam Hendricks, Adam Eaton
The White Sox were an interesting team in the shortened 2020 season. In a year where they could be defined as the most streaky team in the game, they broke through and made the playoffs for the first time since 2008, sliding into the seventh seed in the AL due to the expanded format. After being two games ahead of the eventual division-winning Minnesota Twins ten days before the season ended, they fell apart, losing eight out of their final ten ballgames. Regardless, they hung on to a playoff spot, losing to the Oakland A’s on the road in the Wild Card Series in three games. Although the entire organization will tell you that they were hoping to win it all, they will now look back and realize it was a great opportunity for their young stars to get used to the bright lights of October baseball. In a strange turn of events, not long after the season ended former manager Rick Renteria was let go by the organization (which led to some awkwardness when he was named a finalist for manager of the year). As it turns out, there was a method to their madness, however odd it may have seemed at the time. In a move made due to the Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s friendship with him, 76-year-old hall of fame manager Tony La Russa was hired to take the reins of the South Siders. With a .536 winning percentage over 5,097 games managed, as well as leading his teams to three World Series titles, it is no question that La Russa is a great manager. However, with La Russa being 43 years older than the oldest active player on the roster, it will be interesting to see how he communicates with the player today. One sequential move that should help with this scenario was the acquisition of starting pitcher Lance Lynn.
The ChiSox acquired Lance Lynn roughly a month after they brought in La Russa as the manager. Why is this important information? Well, way back in 2011, rookie starting pitcher Lance Lynn was a part of La Russa’s last season as a big-league manager, in which he led the St. Louis Cardinals to their eleventh World Series victory in franchise history. With Lynn now being a veteran who has moved around to several teams throughout his career, his experience as a pitcher and player for La Russa on a WS title team should fit well together while working with his new teammates and their old-time skipper. Talent-wise, La Russa should have nothing to worry about for his new squad. Tim Anderson has finished in the top two in the batting title race the previous two seasons. Jose Abreu is one of the most consistent players in the game, with an .870 average OPS over 162, and is also coming off of his first MVP title. Yasmani Grandal has turned into one of the best catchers in the game and will see even more consistent playing time after James McCann signed with the Mets. Mashers Eloy Jiminez and Luis Robert look to continue to blossom in the outfield with the guidance of Adam Eaton (2019 WS champion with the Nationals) in his second stint with Chicago. Newly signed Aussie closer Liam Hendricks looks to stay in a groove, after recording 39 saves and an ERA of 1.79 in total from 2019-2020 in Oakland. Can Yoan Moncada bounce back at third base? Will we see flamethrowers Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet light up the radar guns? Will stud prospect Andrew Vaughn begin the year as the designated hitter? We will know soon enough. Even if these instances don’t occur, I believe the White Sox have the potential to win the AL Central. With the Twins and Indians likely to be close behind in the divisional race, fans of the South Siders better hope no one falters.
Tim Anderson, SS
Yoan Moncada, 3B
Jose Abreu, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Eloy Jiminez, LF
Luis Robert, CF
Adam Eaton, RF
Andrew Vaughn, DH
Nick Madrigal, 2B
Lucas Giolito
Dallas Keuchel
Lance Lynn
Dylan Cease
Reynaldo Lopez
Second Place- Minnesota Twins
Notable Additions- Nelson Cruz, Andrelton Simmons, Alex Colome
The Minnesota Twins had a successful regular season in 2020, finishing with a record of 36-24 which was good enough for their second straight season winning the divisional crown in the NL Central. Although it was not possible for the “Bomba Squad” from 2019 to try and break their home run record from that season due to the shortened season, they were still in the top half of the league in home runs hit in 2020, coming in sixth in the home run race. Entering the expanded postseason as the three seed in the American League, it was looking like the Twins could breeze into the ALDS after being paired with the under .500 record Houston Astros at home in the Wild Card Round. Alas, they were in for a rude awakening. Minnesota was swept out of Target Field in two games, being outscored 7-2 in that span. Unfortunately for fans in the twin cities, this losing drought in the playoffs has become much bigger than they’d hoped. The Twins have not won a playoff game since game 1 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium in 2004. Since that 2-0 shutout victory in the Bronx, Minnesota has lost eighteen consecutive playoff games. Although there have obviously been different players on these Twins teams since then, it seems as if there is a curse above their dugout each time they make it back to the playoffs. With the re-signing of Nelson Cruz, it is obvious that the organization believes he can help change the narrative, and that Cruz is tired of hearing about Minnesota’s playoff woes.
Although he has only been with the team for two seasons, Nelly Cruz is arguably the heart and soul of the Twins. Now 40 years old, he is a player who seems to have more fun than anyone on the field. Known as a great teammate from his years in Texas, Baltimore, and Seattle, the Twins needed to keep Cruz. Aside from Cruz being a clubhouse presence, he has also had his best two seasons of his career in Minnesota, with a 1.032 OPS in 2019 and .992 OPS in 2020 (albeit during a shortened season). Having not played the outfield since 2018, Cruz has embraced the full-time DH position. He has also performed well in the playoffs, hitting .288 with 17 homers in 46 career postseason games. If the Twins want to change their narrative in October, he is the guy to help make it happen. With the departure of free-swinging bopper Eddie Rosario to the divisional rival Cleveland Indians, other power hitters will have to step up to help Cruz. Except for Byron Buxton, many lineup mainstays such as Josh Donaldson, Mitch Garver, Max Kepler, and Miguel Sano had significantly down years by their standards in 2020and will need to bounce back in 2021. Newly signed shortstop Andrelton Simmons should shore up the infield defense by moving Jorge Polanco over to second base. Can Kenta Maeda pitch well enough to finish in the top three in the Cy Young voting again? Should there be worry that new closer Alex Colome will come back to earth after posting a 0.81 ERA in 21 games with the White Sox in 2020? Will Jose Berrios continue to establish himself as an ace after being an all-star in 2018-2019 and having a career-high K/9 rate at 9.7 in 2020? Can top prospect Alex Kirilloff fill the shoes that Eddie Rosario left in the outfield? We’ll have to wait and see. If all goes right for Minnesota in the regular season in 2021, there is a high chance they will keep the division crown for a third straight year or at least finish at a close second. Although it will be a fight to get to October for the Twins, their fanbase should be worried about what happens when they get there. After losing thirteen of their previous eighteen playoff games to the Yankees, all Twins fans can hope for is to be nowhere near the Bronx Bombers in the early rounds of the playoffs in 2021.
Max Kepler, RF
Josh Donaldson, 3B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Miguel Sano, 3B
Mitch Garver, C
Jorge Polanco, 2B
Byron Buxton, CF
Alex Kirilloff, LF
Andrelton Simmons, SS
Kenta Maeda
Jose Berrios
Michael Pineda
J.A. Happ
Randy Dobnak
Third Place- Cleveland Indians
Notable Additions- Eddie Rosario, Cesar Hernandez, Amed Rosario
The Cleveland Indians were tied with the Chicago White Sox record-wise in 2020 but landed in the 4th playoff seed in the AL due to their interdivisional records. In a year where superstar Francisco Lindor had the worst OPS of his career, the Tribe was largely carried by their starting pitching staff and an MVP caliber season by Jose Ramirez. The pitching rotation, led by Shane Bieber, catapulted Cleveland to a matchup against the Yankees in the Wild Card Round, where they were swept at home in two games just like Minnesota. After being blown out 12-3 in Game 1 with Bieber on the mound, they lost one of the more entertaining postseason games of the year in a back and forth battle that ended their season with a score of 10-9. After their fans saw them put up a fight as they did in Game 2, they were hoping that the front office in Cleveland would open up the checkbook for Francisco Lindor. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Lindor, along with longtime rotation piece Carlos Carrasco, was shipped out to Queens for the final season before his free-agent year. Although many people knew a trade was coming, it will be difficult to see Lindor’s contagious smile in colors other than navy blue and red in 2021. However, everything is not all down in Cleveland. Smaller moves were made, along with the return from the Lindor trade, to try and keep this team afloat to go along with an above-average starting staff.
It is very apparent that the strength of the Indians in 2021 will be their pitching staff, even with the departure of Carlos Carrasco. Shane Bieber is coming off of his first career Cy Young award, while he also finished fourth in AL MVP voting. Bieber, along with Adam Civale, Zach Plesac, and youngster Triston McKenzie, averaged an ERA of 2.97, a 0.971 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 over 38 combined games started in 2020. Even if that number is increased some due to a full 162 game schedule, it shouldn’t be overinflated. Although a grand slam by former Indian Gio Urshela blew up his postseason numbers, James Karinchak showed potential in the bullpen in 2020 and will look to embrace the closing role after former closer Brad Hand signed with the Nationals. The offense, however, is where this team loses its luster. Can re-signed Cesar Hernandez continue to be an on-base machine atop the batting order? Will newly signed left fielder Eddie Rosario show the same power numbers as he did with the Twins? Can slugger Franmil Reyes bounce back to the 37 HR power he showed with the Padres and Indians in 2019? Will Jose Ramirez continue to be the perennial MVP candidate we have become used to before his club options for 2022-2023 kick in at the end of the season? Can Amed Rosario or Andres Giminez play even remotely close to Francisco Lindor’s level? Only time will tell. Unless everything goes right for the Tribe and everything goes wrong in Chicago and Minnesota in 2021, Cleveland fans should not look forward to a chance to play in October. For a team that is projected by many to be average at best, the biggest headline for the club in 2021 may be the eventual name change of the organization.
Cesar Hernandez, 2B
Oscar Mercado, CF
Jose Ramirez, 3B
Franmil Reyes, DH
Eddie Rosario, LF
Amed Rosario, SS
Josh Naylor, 1B
Roberto Perez, C
Jordan Luplow, RF
Shane Bieber
Zach Plesac
Adam Civale
Triston McKenzie
Logan Allen
Fourth Place- Kansas City Royals
Notable Additions- Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi, Mike Minor
As expected, the Kansas City Royals were not very good in 2020. Sporting a record of 26-34, they were nine games behind the Indians and White Sox for a tie for second place in the division. Even with the small ounce of hope that they could squeeze into a playoff spot due to the expanded format, this is realistically where Royals fans had to view their team finishing the season. In a sense, 2020 was more or less a tryout for young players in the Royals farm system who had minimal big league experience to see who would be useful to build around the start of a solid foundation. Young starters Brad Keller, Brady Singer, and Kris Bubic each started at least nine games, with none posting an ERA above 4.32. Adalberto Mondesi led the league with 24 stolen bases in 59 games, proving that if he can get on base he will help the lineup immensely. Although 2019 MLB home run champion Jorge Soler and 2019 MLB triples co-leader (with teammates Mondesi and Merrifield) Hunter Dozier had down seasons in 2020, they are expected to bounce back. The Royals certainly believe so, at least in Dozier’s case, as they recently finalized a four-year extension with a fifth-year option for their primary 3rd baseman. With slugger, Jorge Soler set to become a free agent after the 2021 season, don’t be surprised if extension talks begin to surface there as well. With a better core than most casual fans realize, plus several under-the-radar acquisitions this offseason, the Royals are in line to be a sneaky wild card pick if all goes right.
It seems as if after the two magical seasons in Kansas City in 2014-2015 in which they won a title and played in two fall classics, the organization dropped off the map considerably. With the retirement of Alex Gordon following the 2020 season, catcher Salvador Perez finds himself as the last position player standing from those years. Although Hosmer and Moustakas were known as fantastic clubhouse guys, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better leader to bring a young team into battle than Salvy. The Venezuelan-born backstop bounced back with a career-high .936 OPS in the shortened season and was an all-star from 2013-2018 winning gold gloves in 5 out of those 6 years. His veteran presence to go along with the rest of the team seems like a match made in heaven. In the sense that Kansas City is viewed as on the cusp of making the playoffs, they have an interesting scenario. Teams such as the Diamondbacks, Tigers, and Mariners are viewed by many to be in the same category as the Royals. However, KC has something these teams do not and that is players who can lead the league in certain categories. Jorge Soler has the potential to lead the league in HR. Whit Merrifield has the potential to lead the league in hits. Newly signed Carlos Santana can potentially lead the league in OBP. Adalberto Mondesi has the potential to lead the league in SB. Although each player leading in their specific category is not likely, the fact that it is possible makes their offense much more dangerous than other lower-tier ballclubs. If newly acquired Andrew Benintendi can regain his 2017-2018 form, and Hunter Dozier can find his 2019 form, this lineup becomes seven quality hitters deep in a hurry. With some questions in the bullpen, including homecomings from two important cogs in the 2014-2015 playoff teams in Wade Davis and Greg Holland (third stint with the club), they may not be at the same level as Cleveland and the rest of the division. However if the Indians and either the Twins/White Sox are in disaster mode for whatever reason come the trade deadline, don’t be surprised if GM Dayton Moore takes advantage of the opportunity.
Adalberto Mondesi, SS
Whit Merrifield, RF
Carlos Santana, 1B
Jorge Soler, DH
Hunter Dozier, 3B
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Salvador Perez, C
Nicky Lopez, 2B
Michael A. Taylor, CF
Brad Keller
Danny Duffy
Brady Singer
Mike Minor
Kris Bubic
Fifth Place- Detroit Tigers
Notable Additions- Jonathan Schoop, Wilson Ramos, Nomar Mazara
Team MVP- Jonathan Schoop
Unfortunately for Tigers fans, this looks to be where the .500 record train gets off in the AL Central in 2021. Finishing with a record of 23-35 in the shortened season was good enough for fifth place in the AL Central, a position in the standings Detroit has finished in regularly five out of the last six seasons. Their worst season since 2003 came in 2019 when they won only 47 games. While it is obvious that they are smack in the middle of a rebuild, it seems to be taking longer than expected. Several prospects did happen to get an opportunity to show themselves due to the lack of a minor league season in 2020, however, so there is some hope. Still, longtime Tiger Miguel Cabrera remains the most well-known player on the roster in Motown. While he should have a shot at conquering the 3,000 hit plateau in a Tigers uniform in 2021, the reason he is still wearing that uniform is not because of his future performance on the field. Miggy is an obvious Hall of Famer. But like Albert Pujols and Robinson Cano, he was paid based on the performances of previous seasons and he has not been the same player in the latter years of his mega-deal he signed way back in 2014. Nevertheless, Cabrera has undoubtedly been an excellent teacher for many young players. He helped Jonathan Schoop bounce back and have a solid season last year in Detroit. And who knows where former Tigers J.D. Martinez and Nicholas Castellanos would be in their careers without him? As tough of a season as it is about to be in Detroit, Tigers fans should sit back and enjoy watching Miguel Cabrera do his thing until his contract is up. Besides, if Miggy can help some more up-and-coming prospects this season, the sun may be shining over Comerica Ballpark sooner than expected.
As forgetful of a season as it was in 2020 in Motown, there were small glimmers of hope. Although the numbers were not necessarily eye-popping, Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize showed in certain portions of games why they are so highly touted in the system. Spencer Turnbull had a better showing than his previous two seasons with an ERA under 4.00 for the first time in his career. If Michael Fulmer can reach back and pitch like he did when he won ROY in 2016 and was an all-star in 2017, along with newly signed Jose Urena pitching like he did in Miami in 2017-2018, their pitching staff may have potential. As for another mainstay rotation piece in Detroit since 2015 in Matthew Boyd, it is simply time for him to get a change of scenery. He has never had an ERA under 4.00, so it should be about time he is traded elsewhere. As for the lineup, the Tigers signed a few veterans who, quite frankly, could be dealt at the deadline, but may have bigger impacts than people think. Had it been a regular season, Jonathan Schoop may have been the lone all-star coming out of Detroit, as he bounced back with a .799 OPS, the closest it has been to .800 since his all-star season in 2017 with Baltimore. Outfielder Robbie Grossman had the second-best season of his career in 2020, with an .828 OPS. As for Wilson Ramos and Nomar Mazara, the hope is that they bounce back and are not the players they were in 2020. With Schoop, Mazara, Ramos, and starting pitcher Jose Urena set to become free agents after 2021, they will likely be dealt at the deadline if they have solid first halves in Detroit. Will young first baseman Jeimer Candelario embrace full-time duties after a bounce-back season in 2020? Will Issac Parades improve at third base? Has Willi Castro officially taken the shortstop job from Niko Goodrum? How will Bryan Garcia perform in his second season as the teams’ closer? Can Joe Jimenez bounce back to his all-star form from 2018? Is there a chance we see stud prospect Spencer Torkelson sometime in 2021? We’ll see soon enough. Five years from now, the Tigers may be the talk of Motown and free of Miguel Cabrera’s contract. For now, expect Detroit to continue to occupy the basement in AL Central.
JaCoby Jones, CF
Willi Castro, SS
Jonathan Schoop, 2B
Miguel Cabrera, DH
Jeimer Candelario, 1B
Wilson Ramos, C
Robbie Grossman, LF
Issac Parades, 3B
Christian Stewert, RF
Michael Fulmer
Tarik Skubal
Casey Mize
Spencer Turnbull
Jose Urena
With Chicago and Minnesota looking to be in a head-to-head race until the end of September in 2021 for the divisional crown, we should be in for a fun ride. Cleveland is poised to be in the mix for at the very least a wild card spot, as they have not finished with a record below .500 since the 2012 season. With little to prove and an upstart mentality, the Kansas City Royals may just find themselves in the thick of a wild card hunt if the right scenarios occur with the rest of the division. And the Tigers will simply look to see what their young talent can do, while picking up prospects at the deadline in July, looking to play spoiler in September. Sitting back and looking at the AL Central a year from today may be a completely different story than how we think it will be written today. Tony La Russa could win manager of the year. The Twins could break their playoff drought. The Tribe could have another Cy Young winner toss them through October. KC could magically make a wild card spot. And Spencer Torkelson could win AL Rookie of the Year. Whatever the case may be, I’m sure we’ll enjoy it.
