American League Central

American League Central:

Cleveland Indians

Projected W-L: 92-70

Lineup Rank: 1

Roto Rank: 1

Pen Rank: 1

The defending American League Champions are getting Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar back, and added Edwin freaking Encarnacion to the middle of the order...they have to be the obvious pick to win the pennant again, right? I would caution against wagering money on the Tribe. Despite their insane additions through health and free agency, they did rely on a lot of young players down the stretch. Jose Ramirez became a household name, Tyler Naquin was twitter famous, and Francisco Lindor was a star. A full body of work from these guys will be interesting. Additionally, they overused the bullpen at a pace that cannot continue for an entire season. Therefore, there will be SOME internal regression as well.  Lastly, while the rotation is dynamic when healthy, there is not a whole lot of organizational depth there should someone go down. That being said, I think the Indians still win a tightly contested three team race in the Central. It will take a few notable in season additions to get them to the promise land, however.

Kansas City Royals

Projected W-L: 89-73

Lineup Rank: 3

Roto Rank: 3

Pen Rank: 2

After the tragic death of their beloved teammate Yordano Ventura, and heading into the last certain year of their home grown core, the Royals will have a lot to play for this season. And despite the tragedy, I actually really like the moves they made. Trading Dyson and Davis for Karns and Soler might come off as head scratchers, but trading guys who are almost free agents for young, controllable talent actually makes a lot of sense. Another thing most people do not realize is that this team was a 500 team last year, and is getting three All Stars back off of their own disabled list. Moustakas, Cain, and Gordon will help to solidify that lineup, which, with the additions of Soler and Moss all of a sudden looks deeper than it did in either World Series year. I think the rotation quality will surprise a lot of people, and the additions of Hammel and Wood as well as the return of Vargas will take a lot of weight off of the younger guys. The big question though, is the back end of that bullpen. The long relievers are good, and Herrera is a stud, but how do the setup men like Soria, Strahm, and McCarthy perform? It will be intriguing to watch the Royals attempt to be a normal AL team, but they have all the pieces in place for another successful season. I think they capture a wild card.

Detroit Tigers

Projected W-L: 84-78

Lineup Rank: 2

Roto Rank: 2

Pen Rank: 4

The biggest takeaway from the 2016 season for Detroit is the re-emergence of their ace, Justin Verlander. His velocity is a huge indicator of his success, and reports from Detroit camp say that his velocity is already in midseason form. What the Tigers have behind Verlander is the question, though. Michael Fulmer was surprisingly effective, but he will see some sort of regression in the form of a sophomore slump. Anibal Sanchez and Jordan Zimmermann simply have to be better if this team has any shot at playing deep into October. They will be retaining the thump in their order, with Miggy, Upton, the Martinez’s, and that pesky Ian Kinsler, but outside of those names, this team is very unproven. The most notable hole is the bullpen, yet again. There is no one I would trust in a one run ballgame. Even if the aforementioned rotation is solid, how do they get the game to K-Rod? I think the Tigers will be in the mix, but will be hampered by a lack of pitching once more.

Chicago White Sox

Projected W-L: 68-94

Lineup Rank: 4

Roto Rank: 4

Pen Rank: 3

The White Sox obviously had a busy offseason, and acquired a lot of young talent for Chris Sale and Adam Eaton. They will hope that Quintana gets off to a strong start in order to flip him for a good price at the trade deadline. Jose Abreu is one of seven players to ever hit 30 home runs and collect 100 runs batted in during each of his first three seasons. The guy is a superstar. However, without Eaton frustrating opposing pitchers at the plate and on the bases in front of him, I am worried that his numbers will decline. He will have fewer options to drive in runs, and it will be easier to pitch around him. It is a shame that this great talent is withering on the south side. The Sox will be looking towards the next few seasons where Moncada, Rodon, Ynoa, Fulmer, Giolito...etc, will all come onto the scene. Fun fact- the Sox have a Geovany Soto and a Giovanni Soto in their organization.

Minnesota Twins

Projected W-L: 67-95

Lineup Rank: 5

Roto Rank: 5

Pen Rank: 5

Brian Dozier had a monster 2016, and I am surprised to see him on the Twins to begin 2017. Kepler was insanely hot for a while last summer, and he looks to perform in a full time starting role. The rotation has some guys who will be able to eat innings, but the bullpen is, well, pathetic. In regards to the 2017 season, all eyes will be on the development and maturity of Sano, Buxton, and Berrios.