MLB Update: AL/NL Central Season Preview

AL Central

1. Kansas City Royals

2. Detroit Tigers-WC

3. Cleveland Indians

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Minnesota Twins

Players to watch: Lorenzo Cain, Yordano Ventura, Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Chris Sale, Jeff Samardzija, Jose Abreu, Joe Mauer.

Look for the AL Central to be improved from 2014. To me, every team except for the Tigers got better. Though they lost Nori Aoki, Billy Butler, and James Shields, the Royals were able to replace the three with Alex Rios, Kendrys Morales, and Edinson Volquez, respectively, and the team seems to fit together well this year. Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain, and Mike Moustakas will pace the offense, while Gordon, Cain, and Alcides Escobar will offer Gold Glove defense. Young pitchers like Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy are only maturing, while they have arguably the best closer in baseball in Greg Holland. If Moustakas can have a breakout year and Wade Davis and Kelvin Herrera can repeat what they did last year, the Royals should have no problem getting back the playoffs. The Tigers have again put together a solid team, but age may creep up on them. It is unlikely that Victor Martinez will repeat his offensive outburst from last season, and at age 32, Miguel Cabrera is not guaranteed to be an MVP candidate. However, if Miggy can in fact get back to his 2012-2013 form, Nick Castellanos builds on his strong rookie campaign, and Jose Iglesias puts his injury issues behind him, the Tigers can easily take the division crown. The bullpen will have to step up, though, as it is the most glaring hole on the Detroit depth chart. Look for a very competitive Indians team this season. Last year, Michael Brantley, Corey Kluber, Cody Allen, Carlos Carrasco, Yan Gomes, and Lonnie Chisenhall all had breakout seasons, so if those six keep up the good work it will be up to the rest of the squad to build off that. Jason Kipnis and Michael Bourn should rebound from a rough year, while Jose Ramirez and Trevor Bauer look like candidates for breakout years of their own. New addition Brandon Moss should help solidify the offense. If you know me, you know that I’m not a big fan of rosters that are thrown together. The White Sox made significant upgrades in adding Adam LaRoche, Melky Cabrera, and David Robertson through free agency and Jeff Samardzija via trade. This could go in two directions; the Blue Jays added a slew of big names prior to the 2013 season, only to end up as an average team. On the other hand, these additions could work seamlessly and the White Sox could win the division. Abreu will put up even bigger numbers now that he has LaRoche’s backing in the lineup, and a breakout year from Avisail Garcia would go a long ways. Micah Johnson is a question mark at second base, but the Sox do have Emilio Bonifacio in case Johnson falls through. The rotation was the White Sox’ weak spot, but now Chris Sale, Samardzija, and Jose Quintana give the team an enviable top three. After them, though, John Danks and Hector Noesi will have to hold up the back end of the rotation. It’s tough putting the Twins in last place considering the improvements they’ve made, but they do appear to be the worst team in the division. Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Danny Santana, Torii Hunter, and Trevor Plouffe will lead the offense, but Jordan Schafer is a question mark in center field and they don’t have much in terms of backups. The rotation was dealt a serious blow when Ervin Santana went down with an 80 game suspension, so Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco, and Kyle Gibson will have to pick up the slack. Hopefully, Glen Perkins can bounce back from a rough second half last year to lead the bullpen.

NL Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals

2. Pittsburgh Pirates-WC

3. Chicago Cubs

4. Milwaukee Brewers

5. Cincinnati Reds

Players to watch: Jason Heyward, Adam Wainwright, Andrew McCutchen, Gregory Polanco, Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, Aramis Ramirez, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Billy Hamilton.

The NL Central is strong this year, but it looks like the Cardinals have what it takes to win the division crown yet again. Matt Adams, Matt Holliday, Jason Heyward, and Yadier Molina will lead the offense, but that doesn’t mean other hitters like Matt Carpenter, Johnny Peralta, and Jon Jay won’t produce. Adam Wainwright leads a filthy rotation, with Lance Lynn, John Lackey, and a healthy Michael Wacha behind him. If the Cards are lucky, 23 year old hurler Carlos Martinez might finally put it together. The Pirates are a very strong team, offensively. Andrew McCutchen is obviously at the center of the production, with Pedro Alvarez, Starling Marte, Neil Walker, and Josh Harrison falling in around him. 23 year old Gregory Polanco has a chance to break out, and Pittsburgh has one of the best benches around. Corey Hart, Sean Rodriguez, Jung-Ho Kang, and Chris Stewart all provide solid bats off the bench. The bullpen is also solid, with Mark Melancon closing and Tony Watson and Jared Hughes setting up. The one place the Pirates could improve is the rotation, which is led by an inconsistent Francisco Liriano and a rising Gerrit Cole. A.J. Burnett, Jeff Locke, and Vance Worley will have to hold up the back end. For the 106th straight season, Cubs fans are exclaiming “This is our year”, but I don’t think they’re right quite yet (I think the 107th time is the charm). The team is certainly improved over last year, but they are not quite a playoff team yet. Anthony Rizzo, Starlin Castro, Jorge Soler, and Kris Bryant (once he is called up) will lead the offense, and other hitters like Dexter Fowler, Mike Olt, and Arismendy Alcantara will have to step up if the Cubs want to contend. The rotation is strong, led by Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel, and Kyle Hendricks. If Arrieta and Hendricks can continue their success from last year, this could be one of the better rotations in baseball. Closer Hector Rondon looks poised to establish himself as one of the best closers in baseball, and Jason Motte is looking to reestablish himself as one of the games best relievers. The Brewers are not a weak team, but they are playing in a tough division. To me, the fate of their season rests on three players: Ryan Braun, Jean Segura, and Aramis Ramirez. In order for the Brewers to contend, Braun needs to get back to his 2007-2012 form, Segura needs to bounce back from a rough 2014 season, and the 36 year old Ramirez, ready for his 18th season, needs to hold off age for one more season. If these three players can do what they need to do, the Brewers will contend. If not, they will be buried in a strong position. On the flip side, Jonathan Lucroy, Carlos Gomez, and Scooter Gennett are more likely to give the expected, strong results. Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza lead a decent rotation that also includes Wily Peralta and Mike Fiers. Francisco Rodriguez and Jonathan Broxton are back to lead the bullpen by experience. Lastly, it does not look like the Reds made the necessary improvements to contend in 2015. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce need to bounce back, and Billy Hamilton needs to do more than just steal bases. Both Hamilton and Zack Cozart must get on base more. Todd Frazier and Devin Mesoraco look like the only safe bets in the lineup, but even Mesoraco is coming off a breakout year and needs to prove that he is not a fluke. The front rotation is solid, consisting of Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, and Mike Leake. Aroldis Chapman and Tony Cingrani will lead a shallow bullpen.