Post by Commissioner Erick on Apr 1, 2023 21:21:04 GMT -5
Last year's AL Central was a strong division with all five teams over .500 a good chunk of the way through the season. Cleveland won the American League last year and looks poised to repeat, while the 2028 AL winner, Kansas City, added perhaps the best hitter in the game to challenge them. The rest of the division is stocked with talent as well, making the AL Central a fascinating one.
1) Cleveland Indians
2029: 98-68, AL Central Champion. Defeated Oakland 4-2 in ALDS. Defeated Baltimore 4-0 in ALCS. Lost to San Francisco 4-1 in World Series.
Who They Were: Cleveland’s rebuild fully matured last season with an AL pennant. The club had the best staff in the league last year and the best defense, making them a bear for opposing lineups to go against. Luis Retana was sensational hitting .307 with 30 homers while playing excellent defense. In the playoffs, their staff suffocated the Athletics and the Orioles, before running into one of the most talented offenses in history in the World Series.
Offseason Review: Izak Pals replaces Willson Contreras giving the team better two-way play behind the plate. Sean Reynolds and Ernesto Adames aren’t around anymore with Oil Can Evans set to accept being a full time starter in the outfield. Lourdes Gurriel and Addison Russell have been replaced by Franklin Barreto and Juan Marrufo. The elite rotation remains the same with a year of experience. The team looks better than it did in 2029.
On The Farm: The elite prospects have all graduated to the majors, finally thinning out a once spectacular farm that became a spectacular roster. There’s depth in the upper reaches of the system. Marty Murphy could be a good bat from the right side of the plate in a platoon, and Lee Madore’s a year away from filling in at the back of a rotation. For more upside, Jesus Alvarez, Israel Dominguez, and Kenny Rutherford project to be first division players, but the trio are teenagers and not close to the PBA.
Best Case Scenario: More experienced, Cleveland’s rotation shuts down even the best postseason offenses.
Worst Case Scenario: A touch light offensively, it’s possible to see the Indians losing a low-scoring playoff series.
Key Questions: You essentially swapped out Addison Russell with Juan Marrufo. Why make that move?
Franklin Barreto didn’t play last year. What do you expect out of him this season?
2) Kansas City Royals
2029: 88-74, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Baltimore in Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: The Royals remained a strong team thanks to a deep, solid pitching staff, but many key offensive players took steps back. Jorge Vargas went from MVP candidate to fringe all-star while both Harland Guenette and Ivan Johnson went from breakout superstars to meh starting infielders. With so many disappointing offensive seasons, Kansas City was relegated to the coin flip of the Wild Card Game, where their offense let Daniel Kent down one final time, getting shut down by Thomas Burbank and Baltimore.
Offseason Review: Kansas City didn’t hinge its future on veterans who broke out the season prior, instead going to the top of the offensive food chain and brining in Roderick Dalton. An MVP candidate with a track record, Dalton and Vargas will form a terrorizing middle-of-the-order with a high ceiling, but also a high floor. Vargas had an .845 OPS with 37 homers last year, good for a 135 OPS+, which seems like the lowest mark he or Dalton would hit this year. Jim Sattler and Brendan Tinsman have moved on, with positions filled by Jorge Parra and Juan Moreno. Alex Claudio retired and C.J. Hoover is now a Tiger, but Rafael A. Gomez was brought on as another weapon in the pen. Quadir Murriel or Joey Young replace Ivan Johnson
On The Farm: There’s a lot of pitching in the system. Michael Laffont is still forever away, but has ace upside, while Elliott Overton lacks the ultimate upside, but probably only needs a little more seasoning in Triple-A before he fills a rotation spot. Caleb Macclellan isn’t far off, with a funky delivery that misses the sweet spot of bats. He looks like a classic Royals arm, though he’ll need another couple of years in the minors, while Sergio Morales is only 20 and needs a few years to develop, but could be a future number two starter. In the bullpen, John Jones could help the team as early as this year. The position player talent isn’t quite as strong, but Rachet Quiroz is a nice lottery ticket in the low minors, and Steve Rohr looks like a future third outfielder a little closer to the majors.
Best Case Scenario: Kansas City’s offense parties like it’s 2028.
Worst Case Scenario: Kansas City’s offense parties like it’s 2029.
Key Questions: Bryce Zettel has hit for you, but now is your third First Baseman. What role will he play this season?
Who will start at Second Base this season?
3) Detroit Tigers
2029: 78-84, 3rd Place Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Tigers had a few rebound seasons, but lacked the high-end talent to compete in a very tough division. Young Alan Mitchell and old Amari Maggette gave Roderick Dalton some protection in the lineup, but DeMario Pacheco took a step back and the Tigers got little production from its infield. The rotation was fine, but with Carlos Martinez showing his age, it lacked the high-end talent to do more than keep the Tigers in games.
Offseason Review: Most of Detroit’s well known veterans have moved on. Dalton is in Kansas City, but Pacheco and Mitchell are too. Martinez has moved on, with Griffin Canning and Gregory Reinoso also pitching elsewhere. Maggette and Aramis Ademan are the only players 30 and older from last year still remaining. Ivan Johnson gives the team some upside in the infield, and Basket Case Benoit mans First Base, and Enrique Valdez or Phil Knightner providing defense at Shortstop. Jacob Pearson returns in Right Field, while Gilberto Celestino moves within the division from Minnesota.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm with most players a few years away, so it should look even better next year. On the position player side, Mark Dixon should be the team’s starter at Second Base in 2032 at the latest, with Catcher Cory Ferguson on the same timeline. Marty Parham, Ross Doyle, and Danny Minton look more like backups, but they’re all close to the PBA and can provide depth. Parham played a chunk of games last year, and though he was overmatched, he was only 22-years-old. Vinnie Zheng has ace upside, but is only 20 and needs a lot of development work, while Chris Diaz has number three starter upside and needs a lot of development work. There’s a lot of replacement-level talent in the upper minors, so the club can fill holes internally.
Best Case Scenario: The team should be able to defend enough to win 81 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The lack of high-end talent drops the Tigers to 75-87.
Key Questions: You traded Roderick Dalton, but brought in a lot of veterans too. Why make the move to deal Dalton while not rebuilding?
You have a lot of good defensive infielders. Who starts at Second Base, Third Base, and Shortstop?
4) Minnesota Twins
2029: 78-84, 3rd Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Twins spent their third straight year with a solid team that wasn’t good enough to post a winning record. Gabe Bonilla had an uneven year a season after winning MVP as a rookie. He hit only .241 with his sophomore slump. The pitching was solid with an excellent bullpen and decent front-end rotation work anchoring the team, but it lacked an ace to tie everything together. Four position players posted at least 4.1 WAR as the team had good top-end talent, but four Catchers and four Designated Hitters posted negative WAR, highlighting the lack of offensive depth.
Offseason Review: Gilberto Celestino is in Detroit, which may hurt the team’s offense, but should improve the defense as Jim Sattler has been brought in to replace him. Ironically, after four Catchers posted negative WAR, David Garcia was brought in as the club’s starting Catcher. The core of the team looks the same as last year.
On The Farm: It’s not a great farm, but good players are close to the majors. Ricky Burkholder and Bill Romero could be serviceable pitchers for the team now, but they can also be brought up after the Super 2 cutoff date. Mincho Maeda’s about a year away from joining them. Kaden Holton’s double’s prowess makes outfielders move as if on skates, hence his nickname. He’s a couple of years away from starting at Third Base or Right Field.
Best Case Scenario: The all-elusive 82nd win.
Worst Case Scenario: The hitters take small steps back and the team finishes last in a strong division.
Key Questions: You have a lot of good looking pitching prospects. When can we expect to see the ones closest to the majors?
Phil Plechaty is such an interesting player as someone who hits for a high average with no power and who is forced to play First Base. Are you happy with the production he provides at First Base?
5) Chicago White Sox
2029: 73-89, Last Place AL Central
Who They Were: Chicago started off well and held on to a winning record until their lack of talent caught up to them in July, facilitated by the team thinking long term and waiving Andrew Benintendi to get him off their books. Rafael Devers was hurt some of the year, but was a force when he played. The rotation saw better than expected years from Jeremy Myers and Kenny Saenz to keep things respectable, but too many weak players in both the rotation and in the lineup dragged things down.
Offseason Review: Rafael Devers and Gavin Lux were traded away, Sharky Acevedo and Jonathan Rodriguez were lost to free agency, and Hakizimana Njururi will no longer be the team’s Catcher. Kevin Smith is now in the Cardinals’ system, and Chance Adams is now in the Royals system. Finally, long time closer Jimmy Sherfy retired to sever the link to Chicago’s best teams earlier in the decade. Alan Ramos gives the team some punch, KeBryan Hayes gives the club some defense, and Garrett Mitchell, Curt Habeck, and Helliot Ramos give the White Sox some outfield options. Ozzie Albies could be a huge two-way plus in the infield, or he could be washed up. The rotation is brand new with Cionel Perez, Denyi Reyes, and Rob Singleton joining Jeremy Myers and Baffi the Barbarian.
On The Farm: Chicago has work to do to rebuild its farm after years of mismanagement. Joe Anderson is an excellent arm, but he’s far away in Short-A ball. Mike Juarez and Edgar Salinas could be backend arms in a couple of seasons, but there’s little in the way of position players, especially closer to the majors. The White Sox have good depth in Triple-A to help with injuries and if they need to churn through players, but it will take time to build the young talent base.
Best Case Scenario: With good health and Ozzie Albies bouncing back, Chicago can win in the high 70’s.
Worst Case Scenario: The lack of high end talent results in a 90-loss team, especially when Laurenti Baffi eventually gets hurt.
Key Questions: You’re mostly in rebuilding mode, but did acquire Alan Ramos. Why did you target the veteran slugger?
You have a lot of fringy veteran outfielders. Which ones start for you and why?
1) Cleveland Indians
2029: 98-68, AL Central Champion. Defeated Oakland 4-2 in ALDS. Defeated Baltimore 4-0 in ALCS. Lost to San Francisco 4-1 in World Series.
Who They Were: Cleveland’s rebuild fully matured last season with an AL pennant. The club had the best staff in the league last year and the best defense, making them a bear for opposing lineups to go against. Luis Retana was sensational hitting .307 with 30 homers while playing excellent defense. In the playoffs, their staff suffocated the Athletics and the Orioles, before running into one of the most talented offenses in history in the World Series.
Offseason Review: Izak Pals replaces Willson Contreras giving the team better two-way play behind the plate. Sean Reynolds and Ernesto Adames aren’t around anymore with Oil Can Evans set to accept being a full time starter in the outfield. Lourdes Gurriel and Addison Russell have been replaced by Franklin Barreto and Juan Marrufo. The elite rotation remains the same with a year of experience. The team looks better than it did in 2029.
On The Farm: The elite prospects have all graduated to the majors, finally thinning out a once spectacular farm that became a spectacular roster. There’s depth in the upper reaches of the system. Marty Murphy could be a good bat from the right side of the plate in a platoon, and Lee Madore’s a year away from filling in at the back of a rotation. For more upside, Jesus Alvarez, Israel Dominguez, and Kenny Rutherford project to be first division players, but the trio are teenagers and not close to the PBA.
Best Case Scenario: More experienced, Cleveland’s rotation shuts down even the best postseason offenses.
Worst Case Scenario: A touch light offensively, it’s possible to see the Indians losing a low-scoring playoff series.
Key Questions: You essentially swapped out Addison Russell with Juan Marrufo. Why make that move?
Franklin Barreto didn’t play last year. What do you expect out of him this season?
2) Kansas City Royals
2029: 88-74, 2nd Place AL Central. Lost to Baltimore in Wild Card Game.
Who They Were: The Royals remained a strong team thanks to a deep, solid pitching staff, but many key offensive players took steps back. Jorge Vargas went from MVP candidate to fringe all-star while both Harland Guenette and Ivan Johnson went from breakout superstars to meh starting infielders. With so many disappointing offensive seasons, Kansas City was relegated to the coin flip of the Wild Card Game, where their offense let Daniel Kent down one final time, getting shut down by Thomas Burbank and Baltimore.
Offseason Review: Kansas City didn’t hinge its future on veterans who broke out the season prior, instead going to the top of the offensive food chain and brining in Roderick Dalton. An MVP candidate with a track record, Dalton and Vargas will form a terrorizing middle-of-the-order with a high ceiling, but also a high floor. Vargas had an .845 OPS with 37 homers last year, good for a 135 OPS+, which seems like the lowest mark he or Dalton would hit this year. Jim Sattler and Brendan Tinsman have moved on, with positions filled by Jorge Parra and Juan Moreno. Alex Claudio retired and C.J. Hoover is now a Tiger, but Rafael A. Gomez was brought on as another weapon in the pen. Quadir Murriel or Joey Young replace Ivan Johnson
On The Farm: There’s a lot of pitching in the system. Michael Laffont is still forever away, but has ace upside, while Elliott Overton lacks the ultimate upside, but probably only needs a little more seasoning in Triple-A before he fills a rotation spot. Caleb Macclellan isn’t far off, with a funky delivery that misses the sweet spot of bats. He looks like a classic Royals arm, though he’ll need another couple of years in the minors, while Sergio Morales is only 20 and needs a few years to develop, but could be a future number two starter. In the bullpen, John Jones could help the team as early as this year. The position player talent isn’t quite as strong, but Rachet Quiroz is a nice lottery ticket in the low minors, and Steve Rohr looks like a future third outfielder a little closer to the majors.
Best Case Scenario: Kansas City’s offense parties like it’s 2028.
Worst Case Scenario: Kansas City’s offense parties like it’s 2029.
Key Questions: Bryce Zettel has hit for you, but now is your third First Baseman. What role will he play this season?
Who will start at Second Base this season?
3) Detroit Tigers
2029: 78-84, 3rd Place Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Tigers had a few rebound seasons, but lacked the high-end talent to compete in a very tough division. Young Alan Mitchell and old Amari Maggette gave Roderick Dalton some protection in the lineup, but DeMario Pacheco took a step back and the Tigers got little production from its infield. The rotation was fine, but with Carlos Martinez showing his age, it lacked the high-end talent to do more than keep the Tigers in games.
Offseason Review: Most of Detroit’s well known veterans have moved on. Dalton is in Kansas City, but Pacheco and Mitchell are too. Martinez has moved on, with Griffin Canning and Gregory Reinoso also pitching elsewhere. Maggette and Aramis Ademan are the only players 30 and older from last year still remaining. Ivan Johnson gives the team some upside in the infield, and Basket Case Benoit mans First Base, and Enrique Valdez or Phil Knightner providing defense at Shortstop. Jacob Pearson returns in Right Field, while Gilberto Celestino moves within the division from Minnesota.
On The Farm: It’s a good farm with most players a few years away, so it should look even better next year. On the position player side, Mark Dixon should be the team’s starter at Second Base in 2032 at the latest, with Catcher Cory Ferguson on the same timeline. Marty Parham, Ross Doyle, and Danny Minton look more like backups, but they’re all close to the PBA and can provide depth. Parham played a chunk of games last year, and though he was overmatched, he was only 22-years-old. Vinnie Zheng has ace upside, but is only 20 and needs a lot of development work, while Chris Diaz has number three starter upside and needs a lot of development work. There’s a lot of replacement-level talent in the upper minors, so the club can fill holes internally.
Best Case Scenario: The team should be able to defend enough to win 81 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The lack of high-end talent drops the Tigers to 75-87.
Key Questions: You traded Roderick Dalton, but brought in a lot of veterans too. Why make the move to deal Dalton while not rebuilding?
You have a lot of good defensive infielders. Who starts at Second Base, Third Base, and Shortstop?
4) Minnesota Twins
2029: 78-84, 3rd Place AL Central
Who They Were: The Twins spent their third straight year with a solid team that wasn’t good enough to post a winning record. Gabe Bonilla had an uneven year a season after winning MVP as a rookie. He hit only .241 with his sophomore slump. The pitching was solid with an excellent bullpen and decent front-end rotation work anchoring the team, but it lacked an ace to tie everything together. Four position players posted at least 4.1 WAR as the team had good top-end talent, but four Catchers and four Designated Hitters posted negative WAR, highlighting the lack of offensive depth.
Offseason Review: Gilberto Celestino is in Detroit, which may hurt the team’s offense, but should improve the defense as Jim Sattler has been brought in to replace him. Ironically, after four Catchers posted negative WAR, David Garcia was brought in as the club’s starting Catcher. The core of the team looks the same as last year.
On The Farm: It’s not a great farm, but good players are close to the majors. Ricky Burkholder and Bill Romero could be serviceable pitchers for the team now, but they can also be brought up after the Super 2 cutoff date. Mincho Maeda’s about a year away from joining them. Kaden Holton’s double’s prowess makes outfielders move as if on skates, hence his nickname. He’s a couple of years away from starting at Third Base or Right Field.
Best Case Scenario: The all-elusive 82nd win.
Worst Case Scenario: The hitters take small steps back and the team finishes last in a strong division.
Key Questions: You have a lot of good looking pitching prospects. When can we expect to see the ones closest to the majors?
Phil Plechaty is such an interesting player as someone who hits for a high average with no power and who is forced to play First Base. Are you happy with the production he provides at First Base?
5) Chicago White Sox
2029: 73-89, Last Place AL Central
Who They Were: Chicago started off well and held on to a winning record until their lack of talent caught up to them in July, facilitated by the team thinking long term and waiving Andrew Benintendi to get him off their books. Rafael Devers was hurt some of the year, but was a force when he played. The rotation saw better than expected years from Jeremy Myers and Kenny Saenz to keep things respectable, but too many weak players in both the rotation and in the lineup dragged things down.
Offseason Review: Rafael Devers and Gavin Lux were traded away, Sharky Acevedo and Jonathan Rodriguez were lost to free agency, and Hakizimana Njururi will no longer be the team’s Catcher. Kevin Smith is now in the Cardinals’ system, and Chance Adams is now in the Royals system. Finally, long time closer Jimmy Sherfy retired to sever the link to Chicago’s best teams earlier in the decade. Alan Ramos gives the team some punch, KeBryan Hayes gives the club some defense, and Garrett Mitchell, Curt Habeck, and Helliot Ramos give the White Sox some outfield options. Ozzie Albies could be a huge two-way plus in the infield, or he could be washed up. The rotation is brand new with Cionel Perez, Denyi Reyes, and Rob Singleton joining Jeremy Myers and Baffi the Barbarian.
On The Farm: Chicago has work to do to rebuild its farm after years of mismanagement. Joe Anderson is an excellent arm, but he’s far away in Short-A ball. Mike Juarez and Edgar Salinas could be backend arms in a couple of seasons, but there’s little in the way of position players, especially closer to the majors. The White Sox have good depth in Triple-A to help with injuries and if they need to churn through players, but it will take time to build the young talent base.
Best Case Scenario: With good health and Ozzie Albies bouncing back, Chicago can win in the high 70’s.
Worst Case Scenario: The lack of high end talent results in a 90-loss team, especially when Laurenti Baffi eventually gets hurt.
Key Questions: You’re mostly in rebuilding mode, but did acquire Alan Ramos. Why did you target the veteran slugger?
You have a lot of fringy veteran outfielders. Which ones start for you and why?
