3. American League Central
Do not sleep on the Royals’ bats this season.
Even with Jorge Soler not making the Opening Day roster, the outfield should be pretty much set. Paulo Orlando, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon make up an outfield that is full of power. Brandon Moss at the designated hitter position will drive in runs, and so will Eric Hosmer.
The Cleveland Indians were, of course, the runner-ups last season to the Cubs, but they did not go down without a fight.
Corey Kluber not only had an All-Star season but was talked about to win another Cy Young Award. The 30-year-old had a 3.14 ERA with an 18-9 record (I don’t care if you don’t like pitcher wins, that’s impressive) with 227 strikeouts in 215 innings.
Francisco Lindor is one of the best gloves in the league, and he will be calling the shots at shortstop for the Tribe. Once Jason Kipnis returns and the rest of the team (ahem—Michael Brantley) remains healthy, they will once again be a team that needs to be feared. We have to quickly mention Edwin Encarnacion, who has a bat that will very much be a positive for the team.
The Tigers are always a team that has a chance. But the loss of J.D. Martinez, out with a sprained ligament, can really be detrimental to the team. Martinez had an improvement in strikeout and walk rates and hit 22 bombs last year.
The White Sox can make some noise as well with an interesting new set of pitchers and young names that could make an impact. No pressure, Yoan Moncada.
Notables: Minnesota Twins