Earlier this week, I dropped the spring training preview for the AL East. Well as promised, we have moved on to the second out of six divisions we will be covering, the AL Central.

The central division has been known by fans over the past half decade to be less competitive than other divisions, but last year was a different story. The Tigers snuck into the postseason and made some noise, sweeping the everlasting Houston Astros in the Wild Card series, the first time the Astros hadn’t made the ALCS since the Covid-shortened 2020 season.

With the addition of the Tigers making it, the Cleveland Guardians finished with the second best record in the American League and made it to the ALCS, giving the Yankees a little run for their money in their 4-1 dismissal from the playoffs. 

This offseason, the central division wasn’t as active as some of the others throughout the league. The Guardian’s made a few questionable decisions, trading their fan favorite first basemen Josh Naylor and their former All-Star second basemen Andrés Giménez.

The White Sox were surprisingly active in free agency, as I’m sure they do not want to repeat their historically bad 2024 season. The Tigers also made a good amount of moves and look to build off their postseason appearance last year. As we continue our spring training preview, let’s now look into seeing if this division can replicate their play of 2024.

Chicago White Sox

Remaining Free Agents

RHP Chris Flexin, RHP Dominic Leone

Notable Acquisitions

LHP Martin Perez (1 year deal, previously San Diego Padres),OF Austin Slater (1 year deal, previously Baltimore Orioles), OF Mike Tauchman (1 year deal, previously Chicago Cubs), RHP Bryce Wilson (1 year deal, previously Milwaukee Brewers), 3B Josh Rosas (1 year deal, previously Seattle Mariners), OF Michael A. Taylor (1 year deal, previously Pittsburgh Pirates), LHP Tyler Gilbert (trade with Philadelphia Phillies), Matt Thaiss (trade with Chicago Cubs)

Notable Subtractions

LHP Garrett Crochet (trade with Boston Red Sox), RHP Michale Soroka (to Washington Nationals), 3B Yoán Moncada (to Los Angeles Angels)

Analysis

It’s hard to get much worse than the 2024 Chicago White Sox season, finishing with a record of 41-121. That goes for the fifth worst record in the “modern era” of Major League Baseball (1901-2024). Chicago went on multiple double-digit losing streaks during the year and were a “meme” of a sports franchise to every other baseball fan. I feel so bad for anyone that considers themselves a White Sox fan. 

During the offseason, they traded their top valued player, Garrett Crochet, for a load of top prospects and signed a lot of short term deals to field a competent major league roster for 2025. Martin Perez is a quality backend starter.

The White Sox got a lot of outfield help to compliment their only other “star” player, Luis Robert. Robert has had the injury bug throughout his career and is coming off a career-worst year, but I expect him to bounce back and be a good piece to ship off around the deadline for more prospects. I would go more into depth about their roster but there is really no point in doing that. 

Now, to focus on their future, Chicago has five top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, including a top 20 prospect in left-handed pitcher Noah Schultz. On most major baseball media outlets, the White Sox farm system ranks in the top ten, with many valuing them inside the top five.

The fans need to be patient, as a lot of their arms and position players might be a year or two away, but there actually might be some hope for their future. The White Sox 2025 year will go down as yet another rough year but hopefully, and i mean hopefully, they are a lot better than 2024. 

Record: 62-100

Cleveland Guardians

Notable Acquisitions

1B Carlos Santana (1 year deal, previously Minnesota Twins), RHP Paul Sewald (1 year deal, previously Arizona Diamondbacks), RHP Luis L. Ortiz (trade with Pittsburgh Pirates), RHP Jakob Junies (1 year deal, previously Cincinnati Reds), RHP Slade Cecconi (trade with Arizona Diamonbacks), LHP John Means (1 year deal, previously Baltimore Orioles)

Notable Departures

LHP Matthew Boyd (to Chicago Cubs), RHP Alex Cobb (to Detroit Tigers), 2B Andrés Giménez (trade to Toronto Blue Jays), RHP Eli Morgan (trade to Chicago Cubs), 1B Josh Naylor (trade to Arizona Diamondbacks), OF Myles Straw (trade to Toronto Blue Jays)

Analysis

The Guardians were easily one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season. In a division marked as pretty uncompetitive, most publications had Cleveland second or third in the division standings last spring training, behind the Twins.

Well, the Guardians definitely beat their expectations by earning a berth to the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. They moved around a few of their notable players from the past years, Josh Naylor and Andres Giménez, and a few arms to retool their farm system in their never ending quest to compete as a low spending ball club. 

While Cleveland might’ve shipped off a few quality names that they’ve enjoyed the past few years, they strengthened their farm system. Last year they were rated the No. 19 farm system going into the year and now they are rated in the top ten by most major publications.

They have a top 10 prospect in baseball, Travis Bazzana (which is a fun name to say), and three other prospects inside MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. They also have a couple of names that came up briefly last year, Kyle Manzardo and Angel Martínez, to help superstar third basemen José Ramírez. 

Cleveland brought back a familiar face in Carlos Santana and beefed up their bullpen (even though that wasn’t a problem for last year) and added a starter. I would say they aren’t quite the same strength of on paper talent as they were last year and I would not consider them the favorite going into the 2025 season, giving that title to the Detroit Tigers. They still have a solid roster that can compete and still have the ability to turn a few heads and win the division. 

Record: 85-77

Detroit Tigers

Notable Acquistions

RHP Jack Flaherty (2 year deal, previously Los Angeles Dodgers), 2B Gleybar Torres (1 year deal, previously New York Yankees), RHP Alex Cobb (1 year deal, previously Cleveland Guardians), RHP Tommy Kahnle (1 year deal, previously New York Yankees), RHP John Brebbia (1 year deal, previously Atlanta Braves)

Notable Departures

RHP Alex Faedo (trade with Tampa Bay Rays)

Analysis

The Detroit Tigers were, if not the biggest, one of the biggest surprises for the 2024 season. They came into the year facing another middling season without postseason expectations, and even as far as the Trade Deadline, at the end of July, Detroit sold away players to beef up their prospects for the future.

Then the Tigers magically went on a tear to end the season and snuck into the playoffs. Well, not only did they make the playoffs, but they took down the giant in the American League, the Houston Astros.

Detroit not only stopped its long streak of missing the Championship Series, but they did so by sweeping the Astros in the Wild Card round. The Tigers then had an extremely hard-fought battle with the Guardians before succumbing to them in five games in the Division series. That’s a heck of a year to build off of!

When I spoke earlier about their prospects and selling at the deadline, it was a very smart way to build their roster for the future (take note Angels). With that hard work, the Tigers come into the year with a consensus top 5 five ranking, with some publications giving Detroit’s farm system a top three position.

That’s hardly a surprise considering in 2024 the Tigers were ranked No. 5, and no one really lost their eligibility as a prospect during the season. They have two top ten prospects, with one of them already getting post season experience before losing his prospect status, Jackson Jobe.

The Tigers have a total of six Top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, which is certainly a team with some of the most in baseball. It is a scatter between position players and pitchers, which gives them plenty of depth to work with for the 2025 season. 

Going into 2025, their expectations have certainly changed. With a strong farm system and coming off a postseason appearance, it would not be a hot take to say the Tigers are the favorite for the division. They were heavy in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes before losing him to Boston, but still have their reigning Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to man the front of the rotation. That’s not to mention Detroit’s up and coming bats like Colt Keith, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. The Tigers fans have a lot to look forward to for this year and many years to come.

Record: 89-73

 

Kansas City Royals

Remaining Free Agents

OF Robbie Grossman, LHP Will Smith

Notable Acquisitions

2B Jonathan India (trade with Cincinnati Reds), RHP Carlos Estévez (2 year deal, previously Philadelphia Phillies), OF Joey Weimer (trade with Cincinnati Reds)

Notable Departures

RHP Brady Singer (trade with Cincinnati Reds), 2B Adam Frazier (to Pittsburgh Pirates), OF Tommy Pham (to Pittsburgh Pirates), INF Paul DeJong (to Washington Nationals)

Analysis

Kansas City was yet another surprise to make the playoffs coming out of the AL Central last year, sneaking in with the same record as the Tigers (86-76). The Royals did not have the postseason runs like their fellow division rivals, but a postseason berth is still sweet nonetheless.

Kanas City’s 2024 team boasts of great pitching and great situational hitting, specifically at home. Their splits on the road compared to home were almost to the point people questioned thei integrity of their work in Kauffman Stadium. Well, 2024 is over and now the Royals find themselves in a spot that they aren’t tooled to be a real competitor but they also aren’t a team that has no chance to make the playoffs. 

While the Royals’ roster has some solid veterans and a super star, Bobby Witt Jr,, Kansas City’s farm system doesn’t have a whole lot to offer. Ranked in the bottom third by most publications, they’ve actually improved from being ranked in the bottom two farm system in 2023 and 2024.

The Royals have three Top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, but two of them are catchers, so there is a log jam at that position. Their top prospect, Jac Caglianone, is rated just outside the top 20 and has potential to hit the majors this year, but to say they have a boost coming to the roster mid season is a bit of a stretch.

If the Royals are not competitive towards the time of the mid-summer classic, expect them to move some pieces to strengthen the system. Kansas City’s offseason acquisitions were definitely less than eye-popping, but they had a few solid additions to their roster without losing pivotal players from last year’s squad.

Jonathan India will be a solid second basemen both offensively and defensively, and Carlos Estévez/Joey Weimer are also solid MLB players that will be a good boost to their respective parts of the team. The Royals could very well sneak in as the last team in the playoffs, or could easily be a .500 or under squad looking to retool for the years to come. 

Record: 76-86

 

Minnesota Twins

Free Agents Remaining

RHP Anthony DeSciafani, OF Manuel Margot

Notable Acquistions

OF Harrison Bader (1 year deal, previously New York Mets), 1B Ty France (1 year deal, previously Cincinnati Reds), LHP Danny Coulombe (1 year deal, previously Baltimore Orioles)

Notable Departures

INF Kyle Farmer (to Colorado Rockies), OF Max Kepler (to Philadelphia Phillies), 1B Carlos Santana (to Cleveland Guardians), LHP Caleb Thielbar (to Chicago Cubs), LHP Jovani Morán (trade with Boston Red Sox)

Analysis

Minnesota came into the 2024 season as a division favorite or at least second place at worst, but they had a very disappointing campaign.

The Twins finished fourth in the division (comfortably before fifth place Chicago) and missed the playoffs by four games with an 82-80 record. They were an up-and-down team consistently from April to September.

The good news is, it’s a new season and they still have a solid squad. Minnesota has a good pitching rotation, a few very good bullpen arms, and star-power names in Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Byron Buxton. They lost a few of their past contributors like Carlos Santana and Max Kepler, but the Twins still look to be an overall pretty solid team.

Just like most of the other teams in the Central division, they also boast a top 10 farm system according to many outlets. The Twins have improved consistently since 2023, and have a few up and coming guys looking to make their debuts this year.

The Twins have a top five prospect in baseball, Walker Jenkins, as well as two other Top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. While that may seem like little, they have a few more prospects right outside the Top 100 and could easily make their debuts this year. Minnesota has some hope going forward to have mid-season additions within their franchise without having to make moves to improve. 

Overall, Minnesota is also in a middling place, like the Royals. The Twins have the names that would catch a casual fans eye, but those names outweigh their production from the past couple years. This teams runs off the pitching staff, if guys like Pablo López, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan can get back to their strong form, they could easily take over this division. It’s hard to predict how this team will do because it can really go either way. If I was a Twins fan, I would definitely be optimistic for this season. 

Record: 87-75

 

Looking through these rosters, we’re starting to see the tide turn from the “uncompetitive” AL Central to a division that could provide eventual pennant winners in the coming years. The Tigers, Guardians, Twins and White Sox all have Top 10 farm systems according to MLB Pipeline, which is by far the most for any one division in baseball, and more top 10 farm system talented teams than the entire National League.

This year could be another year of a tight race for the division, and I would expect to see at least one team make the Wild Card. A good year in store for the midwest baseball fans!

Final Standings

1. 1. Detroit Tigers (89-73)
2. 2. Minnesota Twins (87-75)
3. 3. Cleveland Guardians (85-77)
4. 4. Kansas City Royals (76-86)
5. 5. Chicago White Sox (62-100)