We are less than two weeks away from the 2022 Major League Baseball regular season. The free agent frenzy was every bit the excitement we had hoped for following the lockout and teams are largely complete at this point. The American League Central Division had just one Postseason participant, but the hope would be for two with the field expanding to 12 teams.
The Chicago White Sox return as the division winners and will
look to carry that crown for a second season. While there’s no juggernaut here,
it should be expected that there’s no cellar dweller either.
Here’s how I see the division shaking out with PECOTA projections
in parentheses.
Chicago White Sox 89-73 (91-71)
Chicago really didn’t do a whole lot this winter, but they also
really didn’t need to. Having Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez for a full season will
represent the greatest benefit they could gain from the offseason. Kendall
Graveman makes an already good bullpen better, and Joe Kelly only enhances
that. They should still have a very strong lineup, and the hope would be
continued dominance from the rotation. There’s no doubt that they are the
favorites here.
Minnesota Twins 85-77 (86-76)
If there’s a team that could go up or down more than almost
any other in baseball it could be Minnesota. Byron Buxton is a superstar, and
now he has a partner in Carlos Correa. How much resurgence could Gary Sanchez
or Gio Ursehla find in their new home? Sonny Gray is a dependable arm, but from
there it’s questionable veterans and untested rookies. If things go bad, it
will likely be because the arms simply weren’t enough. This could be a very
good team, a mediocre team, or a relatively bad team virtually all tied to what
happens on the mound.
Detroit Tigers 77-85 (67-95)
Javier Baez’s deal with Detroit surprised many because of
the assumed tie between Carlos Correa and A.J. Hinch. Baez has plenty of flaws
but some of them are a bit overstated. He gives a winning presence to a team on
the cusp. Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson should be in the lineup soon, and
Akil Baddoo turned out to be a bad man last year. I don’t know how well they’ll
pitch, but acquiring Eduardo Rodriguez was a smart move.
Kansas City Royals 75-87 (70-92)
Prospects are the name of the game for the Royals. Bobby
Witt Jr. looks like a superstar as does both M.J. Melendez and Nick Pratto. Salvador
Perez put up insane numbers a season ago and will look to replicate that performance.
Pitching is questionable here too, and I’m not sure Zack Greinke has much left
in the tank. The bullpen is uninspiring, and there’s plenty of lineup holes.
They’re getting better, but not there yet.
Cleveland Guardians 73-89 (77-85)
You don’t have to look much further than the newly named
Guardians to find the Central’s most rudderless team. The farm system isn’t elite,
but the Major League roster is also barren. Jose Ramirez is amazing, and a
healthy Shane Bieber is lights out, but beyond that there’s very little to like
here. A lot of post-hype prospects and guys that have ceilings they never got
close to touching reside on this roster. Alongside their lack of spending this
offseason, deciding not to blow it up was a weird path forward.
