AL CENTRAL
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2020:
35-25, third place, wild card, lost to Oakland in first round of playoffs. Manager: Tony La Russa (first season of second stint with team) Outlook: White Sox made the playoffs for the first time since 2008and ended a run of seven losing seasons. Now, they’re aiming for the biggest prize of all. Chicago loaded up in the offseason while other teams cut expenses. Club made an eye-opening change when it brought back Hall of Famer and threetime champ La Russa. How will he relate to a vibrant, fun-loving team? That wasn’t the only big move. White Sox added arguably the game’s best closer when they signed Liam Hendriks and workhorse starter Lance Lynn. Slugger Eloy Jimenez’s ruptured tendon put a damper on the high expectations.
CLEVELAND INDIANS 2020:
35-25, second place, lost to Yankees in first round of playoffs. Manager: Terry Francona (ninth season). Outlook: Expectations have fallen following Francisco Lindor’s trade, but Indians believe they have enough talent to compete for AL Central title. They certainly have the pitching. At just 25, Shane Bieber has become one of baseball’s best starters. James Karinchak is the new closer, and Emmanuel Clase, with his 100mph fastball, gives Francona another weapon. Jose Ramírez was more consistent than Lindor last season, and he’ll need to carry an even heavier load. Eddie Rosario’s signing to a one-year contract — he pounded Cleveland pitching with Minnesota — should offset some of the power lost with
Lindor and Carlos Santana leaving.
DETROIT TIGERS 2020:
Manager: Outlook:
23-35, fifth place.
AJ Hinch (first season).
After missing last season while suspended in the aftermath of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Hinch gets his opportunity to manage again. He takes over a team that averaged 103losses from 2017-19and then finished last in 2020. Detroit does have a handful of highly touted prospects, including Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal. Outfielder Riley Greene, infielder Spencer Torkelson and right-hander Matt Manning are also prospects to watch. Miguel Cabrera is on the downside of his career, but he has a chance to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs this season. Tigers have said they’ll consider a six-man rotation, and the lineup could change quite a bit over the season.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
2020: 26-34, fourth place.
Manager: Mike Matheny (second season). Outlook: First wave of college arms the Royals drafted a few years ago started to arrive last season with Brady Singer and Kris Bubic. They could soon be joined by Asa Lacy, the No. 4pick last summer, and fellow first-rounders Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar. If they progress, Royals could compete for a playoff spot given the investment GM Dayton Moore made in the rest of the roster. He signed Carlos Santana, a longtime nemesis, to handle first base, and swung a trade for Andrew Benintendi. Throw in the signings of veteran pitchers Mike Minor and Wade Davis, and the Royals are deeper and more talented than they have been since going to back-toback World Series in 2014and ‘15.
MINNESOTA TWINS 2020:
36-24, first place, lost to Astros in first round of playoffs.
Manager: Rocco Baldelli (third season). Outlook: Twins have returned largely the same team that won the last two AL Central titles, aiming to end major league-record 18-game postseason losing streak. Pitching staff was superb in 2020, and J.A. Happ and Matt Shoemaker have added value and experience to the rotation with Randy Dobnak emerging. Kenta Maeda and Jose Berríos make for a solid one-two punch, but whether pitching is deep enough for a postseason run remains to be seen. Signing away Alex Colomé from their primary division competitor ought to pay off, but to stay ahead of the White Sox, the offense will have to produce more like 2019 than 2020.