The Major League Baseball season gets underway on April 4. But before all the fireworks, the seventh-inning stretches, the awe-strucking homers, the captivating steals, hustle plays, and pitching performances commence, we preview all 30 teams by division. Next up, the American League Central.
Cleveland Indians
Record: 80-82 (2nd in AL Central)
Missed Postseason
Manager Manny Acta and his crew were on top of the AL Central at the All-Star break but then lost steam in the end. Still, 80 wins was a decent achievement after winning 69 the year before. This year, the Indians look to improve on last year's performance.
All they needed was a healthy Shin-Soo Choo, who had an injury-riddled 2011. They also need a vastly improved bat and glove of Asdrubal Cabrera, a Silver Slugger winner at shortstop. If Grady Sizemore stays healthy, he too may help. A good, if not great season is needed for sluggers Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner, last year's rookie surprise Jason Kipnis, and newly-acquired Casey Kotchman to give opposing defenses headaches.
In the pitching front, Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, newly-acquired Derek Lowe, and closer Chris Perez will anchor the Indians' defense. The question is, will Roberto Hernandez (formerly Fausto Carmona) move on from a disastrous 2011 followed by an offseason identity crisis? And will Carlos Carrasco stay healthy? Cleveland's arms will be the key if they were to contend in the AL Central.
Kansas City Royals
Record: 71-91 (4th in AL Central)
Missed Postseason
Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium will host this year's All-Star Game. Which means a lot of added pressure for Ned Yost and company, who look to rebound from a 71-win season in 2011. The Royals last made the postseason in 1985, the year they won the World Series, and last had a winning season in 2003, adding even more pressure to succeed.
Alex Gordon's emergence in 2011 raised higher expectations in KC. Gordon earned a Gold Glove for his solid defense at left field, but needs to be solid at bat as well. The returning Yuniesky Betancourt, fresh from an impressive postseason with the Brewers, will be asked again for his slugging. Other important batters will be the much-improved Billy Butler, rookie Mike Moustakas, Jeff Francoeur, and Alcides Escobar.
Sadly, Joakim Soria won't be in the mix after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Which means newly-acquired Jonathan Broxton gets the nod at closer, with Aaron Crow as the setup man. Broxton struggled with injuries last season, so the Royals hope he return to form that made him an All-Star two years ago. Luckily, they won't see another miserable performance from Vin Mazzaro, as their rotation appears reliable with newly-acquired Jonathan Sanchez and holdovers Bruce Chen and Danny Duffy. The Royals are still rebuilding at this point, but a .500 season may help their cause.
Detroit Tigers
Record: 95-67 (AL Central Champions)
Lost 4-2 to the Rangers in the Championship Series
Welcome to the Prince of Motown. As in Prince Fielder.
The Tigers, after falling two games short of the World Series last season, made its biggest acquisition yet, adding Fielder to an already star-studded team led by AL MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, and holdovers Miguel Cabrera, Alex Avila, Austin Jackson, Jose Valverde and Delmon Young. Now the Tigers have a legitimate shot of winning the World Series with this gift.
Great pitching begins with Verlander, and ends with Valverde. Verlander had a breakout 2011, running away with the AL MVP and Cy Young diadems in the process, while Valverde swaggered through 51 straight converted saves and an end-game dance that was popular with Tigers fans. The Tigers also boast a deep bullpen led by other starters Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, Doug Fister, and setup man Joaquin Benoit.
Fielder takes over first base formerly occupied by Cabrera, who will now take over third base. Both show that they can be powerful at the bat, as evidenced by the sluggers' .344 and .299 batting averages respectively, the former winning the AL batting title. Fielder's addition was a necessity after losing DH Victor Martinez to an ACL injury. In addition, Alex Avila was a revelation at catcher, providing both defense and power, while Delmon Young and Austin Jackson are more than reliable to supply both bat and glove instincts. The Tigers are now contenders, and may remain so in the next few years.
Minnesota Twins
Record: 63-99 (5th in AL Central)
Missed Postseason
The Twins were a wreck from start to finish, going from AL Central champions two years before to bottom feeders the year after. A lot had to do with injuries, especially to superstars Justin Morneau, Francisco Liriano and Joe Mauer, or the departures of Jim Thome and Delmon Young, which severely crippled their power supply. The Twins hope a fresh start is on the horizon.
Arguably it begins with Morneau and Mauer, their two big stars. If they stay healthy throughout, the Twins may contend for at least a Wildcard. They may have lost Michael Cuddyer to the Rockies, but they added some reliable bats such as Josh Willingham and Jamey Carroll. The Twins also hope that 2011 breakout star Ben Revere show marked improvement at bat, though his defense has been incredible.
Ace pitcher Francisco Liriano didn't finish 2011 with an injury, and if the Twins were to contend, they also need Liriano's arms to stay healthy during the season. Carl Pavano stepped up in Liriano's absence, and should continue to be reliable on the mound. The Twins parted ways with Joe Nathan, which means Matt Capps will take over closing duties. Other reliable starters will be Brian Duensing and newly-acquired Jason Marquis. The Twins will face tough competition, though, especially now that other teams have also reloaded.
Chicago White Sox
Record: 79-83 (3rd in AL Central)
Missed Postseason
The South Side Sluggers are starting over. Despite making a late push, the White Sox finished with 79 wins, good for 3rd in the AL Central. However, the White Sox decided it was time to start over, beginning with Robin Ventura replacing Ozzie Guillen as manager.
Also gone were ace pitcher Mark Buerhle (MIA), outfielders Juan Pierre (PHI) and Carlos Quentin (SD), shortstop Omar Vizquel (TOR), and closer Sergio Santos (TOR). The only two holdovers left from the 2005 World Series team in A.J. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko, remain.
The team added former Cub Kosuke Fukudome, who hopes to rebound from a dismal 2011, and speaking of dismal, Adam Dunn needs to redeem himself from last season's disaster, otherwise he's a trade chip waiting to be dealt. Other important bats will be Gordon Beckham, Alexei Ramirez, and Alejandro De Aza.
With Buerhle gone, they need excellent pitching from Jake Peavy, John Danks and Gavin Floyd if Chicago were to win consistently. As of now, the closer spot left by Santos is still up for grabs, so Robin Ventura will have his work cut out for him in selecting a new closer. This will be a rebuilding season for the White Sox, according to GM Kenny Williams, so don't expect some surprises for the team.
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