American League Central 2020 Preview

Due to the shortened season, Royals fans are going to get a lot of looks at the Central Division opponents, with 40 of the 60 games on the schedule coming inside the division. The division has been considered light in recent years because three teams - the Royals, Tigers, and White Sox - were all rebuilding. But Chicago should be ready for a step forward, and the Royals and Tigers may have some hot pitching prospects that could make them a tougher opponent than in past years.

Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 72-89

2019 pythag: 69-92

2020 ZIPS projection: 30-30

Notable additions: Steve Cishek, Cheslor Cuthbert, Edwin Encarnacion, Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel, Nomar Mazara

Notable losses: Welington Castillo, Jon Jay, Ivan Nova, Yolmer Sanchez

The White Sox had a splashy off-season, spending nearly $200 million on free agents like Yasmani Grandal and Dallas Keuchel. They want to integrate those stars with a strong nucleus of talent with the flamboyant Tim Anderson, slugger Yoan Moncada, and two of the brighter young outfielders in the league - Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. Lucas Giolito took a big step forward in the rotation last year, and the Sox will hope Dylan Cease can do the same this year, but don’t expect to see prospect Michael Kopech this year, he has opted out of playing due to concerns over COVID-19.

Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 93-69

2019 pythag: 93-69

2020 ZIPS projection: 31-29

Notable additions: Emmanuel Clase, Delino DeShields, Cesar Hernandez, Sandy Leon, Domingo Santana

Notable losses: Tyler Clippard, Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber, Dan Otero, Kevin Plawecki, Yasiel Puig, Danny Salazar

The Indians missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons last year, but instead of looking to improve their team, they actually traded away former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber. They didn’t seem to address their cloudy outfield mix either, but the Indians always seem to find a way to keep churning out talented young players and win every year. This year, you could see arms like Aaron Civale make an impact, or rookie James Karinchak out of the bullpen.

Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 47-114

2019 pythag: 49-112

2020 ZIPS projection: 25-35

Notable additions: C.J. Cron, Cameron Maybin, Ivan Nova, Austin Romine, Jonathan Schoop

Notable losses: John Hicks, Matt Moore, Tyson Ross

The Tigers are still pretty dreadful as they continue to rebuild. They did import a few Major League-quality hitters from the Twins in C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop, but the lineup will likely struggle to score runs all year. The pitching staff does get Michael Fulmer back after he missed a year recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he joins Matt Boyd and Spencer Turnbull, although you may see some trades to make room for a promising crop of pitchers that could be ready this year, including former #1 overall pick Casey Mize.

Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 59-103

2019 pythag: 64-98

2020 ZIPS projection: 26-34

Notable additions: Greg Holland, Maikel Franco, Trevor Rosenthal

Notable losses: Cheslor Cuthbert

Like the Tigers, the Royals are rebuilding, but they have a few stars in their lineup that will be able to help them score more runs. Home run champ Jorge Soler was finally healthy and able to show his full power, and Whit Merrifield continued to pace the top of the lineup. The Royals will look for a full season from Adalberto Mondesi, as well as more stability out of a bullpen that finished fourth-worst in all of baseball in reliever ERA.

Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 101-61

2019 pythag: 97-65

2020 ZIPS projection: 32-28

Notable additions: Alex Avila, Homer Bailey, Tyler Clippard, Josh Donaldson, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda

Notable losses: Jason Castro, C.J. Cron, Kyle Gibson, Martin Perez, Jonathan Schoop

The “Bomba Squad” paced baseball with a record 307 home runs, with five players topping 30 home runs. The offense scored 939 runs, second-most in the league. The pitching got a revamp behind ace Jose Berrios, with the team trading for Kenta Maeda, and signing free agents Rich Hill and Homer Bailey. The shortened season may help those arms stay healthy enough to win the division, but winning a short-series in the post-season may be another matter.