American League Central
The Vegas projections for this division make a lot of sense. I think this division is the Twins to lose. But Cleveland and Chicago should be close.
Like the AL East, the Central has a clear favorite and a team which could be playing for a top draft pick. The Detroit Tigers should finish fourth. Vegas has Detroit at 21.5 wins and the Royals at 24.5 wins.
I will predict the Twins to win the division but Cleveland's starting pitching and a few studs in the field should keep them close. The White Sox will be improved and fun to watch but I think they are still a year away because I am not sold on the starting pitching staff outside of Lucas Giolito and Dallas Kuechel.
Prediction of finish with the Vegas win total projections.
1. Twins (34.5)
2. Indians (33.5)
3. White Sox (31.5)
4. Royals (24.5)
5. Tigers (21.5)
Twins
The Twins should once again hit a bunch of bombs with Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Nelson Cruz all back after mashing last year. They also added Josh Donaldson, who is capable of hitting 10-15 dingers, too.
The starting pitching staff doesn't scream scary, but I love the depth of the options. They can piece together a solid staff with guys like Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Kenta Maeda, Homer Bailey, Michael Pineda and Rich Hill.
The bullpen should be better than average with closer Taylor Rogers and Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard.
Best chance at MVP - Sano
I have been a big fan of Sano over the past few years. I know he's taken a little bit of time to truly be an MVP guy, but I think he breaks out this year after hitting 34 homers and holding an OPS of .923 in a little more than 100 games a year ago.
Best chance at Cy Young - Berrios
I don't think they have anyone in the mix for this award, but it will be either Berrios or Odorizzi in my opinion. Odorizzi was slightly better last year, but I will go with Berrios in 2020.
Need a big season from - Donaldson
The Twins paid big money for Donaldson this offseason. He hit 37 homers and drove in 94 last year and tallied an OPS of .900. If he has that kind of a season again, he will add to an already potent offense. If age catches up to him, the contract will get criticized and the Twins likely won't take a step forward.
Indians
Before I started doing this predictions, I just wasn't sure why anyone had the Indians as a playoff contender. But then you look at the roster and you know why.
Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are as good as anyone at their positions and the pitching staff of Mike Clevinger, Shane Bieber and Carlos Carrasco should give them a chance to win most games.
I also love what Franmil Reyes can bring to the table.
Best chance at MVP - Lindor
One day I hope the Reds can pull off a blockbuster and sign Lindor to a long-term deal. For now, Lindor will be a favorite in Cleveland. He hit 32 homers, scored 101 runs, stole 22 bases and blasted 40 doubles last year. His 74 RBIs and .854 OPS are solid for his position, too.
Best shot at the Cy Young - Clevinger
Bieber had 259 strikeouts and that certainly brings attention to it. But Clevinger's ERA was under 3.00 last year and he was 13-4. If he has another sub-3.00 ERA year and gets to 50 strikeouts in a short season, he should be in the mix for the Cy Young.
Need a big season from - Reyes
I targeted Reyes in my fantasy leagues before the season was postponed. I think he's in for a big year and if he hits, the Indians could push the Twins for the division.
White Sox
The White Sox are a tough team to predict. If all their stars hit, they could win the division or make the playoffs. If the youngsters are not quite there, they could win 25 games. There's a lot to like though with Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncado, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert leading the way offensively.
The pitching staff is still a few pieces away in my opinion. But Lucas Giolito was fantastic last year.
Best chance at MVP - Anderson
I am going to throw a curveball here. It could certainly be Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu is the obvious choice. But Anderson, as a shortstop, can make waves by putting up similar numbers to last year. He can hit for power, steal some bases and hit .335 last year.
Best shot at Cy Young - Giolito
Kuechel was just average in Atlanta last year after signing late. Giolito was awesome, finishing with 14 wins, an ERA under 3.50 and 228 strikeouts. He's the only real chance they have a Cy Young.
Need a big season from - Kuechel
With very little known depth to the pitching staff, not having a big offseason signing perform up to his ability would be devastating. The White Sox have no margin for error when it comes to competing with the Twins and Indians and a poor year from Kuechel would not be ideal for the young Sox.
Royals
On paper, the position players in Kansas City aren't too shabby. I just don't think the pitching staff will be good enough to put them in contention. There's a lot to like though with Whit Merrifield, Jorge Soler, Adalberto Mondesi, Alex Gordon and even Salvador Perez. I hope Bubba Starling makes some kind of impact, too.
Best chance at MVP - Merrifield
I expect Soler to mash again this summer. But Merrifield is a complete player. He has some pop (16 homers last year), can steal bases (20 last year) and led the league with 10 triples. He also had 40 doubles, 105 runs and batted over .300.
Best shot at Cy Young - No one
I mean Danny Duffy, Jakob Junis and Mike Montgomery are the top three starters. And none of them had an ERA under 4.00 last year. So it's hard to believe any of them will be in the mix for the Cy Young.
Need a big season from - Adalberto Mondesi
It's time for Mondesi to take the next step. He tied Merrifield for an AL-best 10 triples last year and stole 43 bases in 102 games. He also had 20 doubles. If he can improve on his .292 OBP, the Royals will be better for it. I don't think they finish better than fourth in this division but an improved Mondesi could push the win total about their projection.
Tigers
Not much to say with this team. The Tigers, along with the Orioles and a few other teams, will be in the mix for the No. 1 pick.
There are no MVP candidates on this team anymore. Miguel Cabrera is just getting too old and Jonathan Schoop is a good player but neither will be MVP worthy. CJ Cron, Niko Goodrum and Cameron Maybin are at least guys I have heard of. Which is more than I can say about the Orioles.
The pitching staff is led by Matthew Boyd and Jordan Zimmermann, which tells you all you need to know about the team.
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