MLBTR Poll: American League Central Favorites

American League Central has had three different winners in the last three years. The Twins took the top spot in both 2019 and the shortened 2020 season, but injuries have held them back in the last two seasons since. A revived White Sox club took over for him in 2021, making the playoffs his second straight year for the first time in franchise history. Many thought these two clubs would go head-to-head in 2022, but the young Guardians team was in a surprise upset as both the Twins and Sox were snakebitten by ill health. I played Meanwhile, both the Royals and Tigers have struggled to come out of rebuilding.

With about three weeks left for pitchers and catchers to report, how much have things changed this offseason? There are still some unsigned free agents and some deals could always change things. However, let’s take a look at the current situation.

Cleveland Guardians – 2022 Record: 92-70, Predicted 2023 fWAR: 45.1

The Guardians were the youngest team in baseball last year, and expectations were pretty modest at this point a year ago. But they snuck up on everyone and took the crown.Many will debate whether it was sustainable or a fluke, but they came back in good positions in the offseason. should be a free agent Austin Hedges When Brian ShawThis means that most of the 92-win club last year will be back, with the potential for many more exciting prospects to join us throughout the year.

It has been a fairly quiet winter for the club so far, as they lost very few players at the end of last year.However, I made two notable additions by signature Josh Bell When Mike ZuninoThese two will strengthen the team, and reinforcements will come from within.Outlook blayan rocchio, George Barrera When Logan Allen All reached Triple-A last year and could make their MLB debuts this year. Tanner Bibby, Daniel Espino And some are not far behind.

Chicago White Sox – 2022 Record: 81-81, 2023 Projected fWAR: 40.6

The Sox won 93 in 2021 and were picked by many for a rematch in 2022. Unfortunately, many of their line-up regulars spent a significant amount of time on the injury list or were disappointed or both. The rotation is Dylan Seeds When Johnny Cueto However, the rest of the rotation dealt with various ailments and became depressed while on the mound. Manager Tony La Lusa also dealt with health issues and decided not to return to the dugout in 2023, leading to the hiring of Pedro Grifol.

They lost longtime fan favorite Cueto to free agency Jose Abreu. is expected Andrew Vaughan Coming in from the outfield, Abreu can take over at first. This should at least help the team, minus the terrible defense on grass. Andrew Benintendi Signed to take over one of the outfield spots in Vaughan’s absence Mike Clevinger Signed to replace Cueto in the rotation. It’s a roster that’s pretty similar to the 93 wins two years ago and the 81 wins last year. Improving health may be enough to get them back in 2021 form, but they’ve already lost something close in an indeterminate amount of time. Liam Hendricks Start treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Minnesota Twins – 2022 Record: 78-84, Predicted 2023 fWAR: 42.0

After winning two consecutive division titles in 2019 and 2020, two disappointing campaigns in Minnesota. In his two most recent campaigns, he had a mountain of injuries that kept his batting average below . They also faced the loss of a superstar this winter. Carlos Correa He opted out of his contract and seemed unlikely to return. He then underwent one of the most amazing trips through free agency in recent memory and agreed to a 13-year deal with the Giants. Correa then agreed to a 12-year deal with the Mets, but that deal was also overturned by medical personnel. Destroyed. As a result, Correa is back in Minnesota under a six-year warranty with four vesting options.

Getting Correa back would be a nice coup for the Twins, but it would still effectively mean they’re back in first place. Christian Vasquez signed to replace departure Gary Sanchez Also they took a bet Joey Gallo It has bounced back, but the current roster is pretty similar to what disappointed last year. hired a trainer. However, many of their key players appear prone to IL tripping, so it wouldn’t be surprising if injuries became an issue again.

Detroit Tigers – 2022 Record: 66-96, Predicted 2023 fWAR: 30.0

The Tigers were a popular sleeper pick for postseason sleepers around this time last year. They had many exciting prospects at the apex of their debut. Riley Green When Spencer TorkelsonThey decided it was time to strike by signing Javier Baez When Eduardo Rodriguez, and upgrades by trade. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on the roster had a disappointing season, especially on offense. The team posted just .231/.286/.346 against his wRC+ of 81, dead last in the majors. Their 110 home run total was also last, 17 behind the closest team.

2023 looks like it will be the time to figure out how to proceed. The club fired general manager Al Avila and brought in Scott Harris as president of baseball operations.Since then they have exchanged some relief Joe Jimenez When Gregory Soto We have also signed several starters for one-year contracts. Matthew Boyd When Michael LorenzenThe all-in approach seems to be on hold until they figure out what part of their roster to build around.

Kansas City Royals – 2022 Record: 65-97, Projection 2023 fWAR: 30.7

The Royals have fallen below .500 each of the last six seasons. Their attempts to rebuild were fruitless. That led to a lot of confusion this winter. Both manager Mike Matheny and president of baseball operations Dayton Moore were fired, leaving Matt Quatraro in the captain’s chair and JJ Piccolo as baseball’s chief decision maker. Roster changes have been pretty modest so far this winter. Zach Greinke He’s still a free agent, but the most notable departure.Additions include jordan lyles, Ryan Yarbrough When Aroldis Chapman.

The club has some exciting young players Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pascantino When MJ Melendezbut so many of their top draft choices have gone to pitchers who have so far disappointed. Daniel Lynch, Chris Bubik, Jackson Cower, Alec Marsh, Jonathan Bowlan When Asa Lacey They’ve all been picked in the first or second round of the draft and haven’t delivered anything exciting yet. but, brady singer In 2022, we showed that the story can be turned upside down. Developing young players into capable big-leaguers is important for clubs that don’t spend a lot of money in free agency. Their recent lack of success in that regard has hurt them and they need to improve somehow.

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The Tigers and Royals seem likely to use this year to assess young players, while all three other clubs are on plausible paths to winning divisions. It reigns supreme and adds a bell to give it an extra bang.The socks have stars like Tim Anderson, Lewis Robert When Dylan Seeds But we just need everyone to stay healthy. It’s a similar story for the Twins, who have elite players like Correa. Byron Buxton But they and others should be removed from the injured list. According to FanGraphs, the three clubs are separated by his 4.5 projected WAR, which points to an exciting battle in the upcoming campaign.

What do you think? Will the Guardian be able to repeat, or will one of her rivals outperform the Guardian?Tell us your opinion in the poll below.

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