Commish Preview: American League Central

American League Central

2023 Standings:

Cleveland 103-59

Minnesota 83-79

Chicago 73-89

Kansas City 71-91

Detroit 68-94

Offseason Review:

It was an ugly season on the whole for the Central, saved a bit by a tremendous second half run from the Minnesota Twins. It was the Spiders' division to lose entering the year and they did not disappoint, eclipsing 100 wins for the third straight season. The team as a whole mostly returns, led by Luis Arraez and his .397 batting average from 2023. The Twins were among the most active clubs this offseason, acquiring Mookie Betts from the Cincinnati Reds and spending 130+ million on prized free agent Ian Ortiz after he entered the free agent market. The White Sox made a good, old fashioned, hockey trade with the Boston Red Sox swapping Eloy Jimenez straight up for Justin Dunn and then made minimal free agent signings, headlined by Omar Narvaez. The Royals are operating under a new GM and made one of the first big trades of the offseason, acquiring Xander Bogaerts from the Los Angeles Dodgers in addition to a couple of key prospects for taking on his salary. Lastly, it was an under the radar type of offseason in Detroit. They completed a key trade with the Milwaukee Brewers that will bring Tyler Mahle and starting shortstop Rafael Morel to Motown as well as added key relievers Keone Kela and Ken Giles on the free agent market.

2024 Thoughts:

I think things will get a bit more interesting in 2024 in the Central. Cleveland still has the deepest roster in the division, but keep an eye on the Spring Training injury to star outfielder J.J. Bleday. He will miss most of the first month of the season with strained biceps. The team everybody wants to see in the Central is the second half surging Minnesota Twins who finally saw the benefits of the Luis Arraez trade with Ethan Hankins producing as a top of the rotation type arm in 2023. The offense is going to score runs, but its the starting pitching as a whole that is going to have to continue to progress forward to have a chance at the division title. The White Sox should be much of the same as 2023 in 2024 and the new GM in Kansas City has already said he is prepared to lose a lot of games. There are interesting names on both these teams that could become available as the trade deadline approaches. And as far as those Detroit Tigers go, it was a disappointing 2023 season but I'm excited for the young talent in the lineup. Austin Martin will transition to third base, which is absolutely the right move long term for his career, and rookies Mario Zabala and Rafael Morel should solidify the Tigers up the middle defensively. Expect a step forward, more along the lines of those 2022 Tigers.

Final Prediction:

1. Cleveland Spiders 98-64

2. Minnesota Twins 89-73

3. Detroit Tigers 82-80

4. Kansas City Royals 70-92

5. Chicago White Sox 68-94

*All thoughts and predictions are for entertainment purposes only. Please do not take things personally and I would love to be proven wrong by each GM.