Projected Divisional Standings Part II: NL and AL Central
I. NL Central:
1. Chicago Cubs (Division Champions) - Unless something catastrophic happens, I don't see how you can't pick the Chicago Cubs to win the division. This winter, they focused on bolstering their pitching staff and the most notable addition was Yu Darvish, who will likely pay huge dividends for them with his performance this season. As the Cubs say, #EverybodyIn.
2. Milwaukee Brewers (In Contention until the Very End) - The Brewers would be the one team that I would say could win the Central over the Cubs if they had made a bigger splash this offseason for a starting pitcher. Regardless, they still have a talented team and I believe enough impact players that they will still be battling it out for a Wild Card spot until the very end, but will come up just short.
3. St. Louis Cardinals - The Cardinals have missed out on the postseason the past two consecutive seasons and I don't see that changing one bit this year. St. Louis failed to add an experienced closer to their roster in someone like Greg Holland and I ultimately think that will be their downfall this season. It would not surprise me to see them have a situation in the 9th inning like the Rangers did last year.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates - Ultimately, I think you could flip a coin and put the Cardinals in 3rd with the Pirates in 4th, like I did, or vice versa. Both clubs are basically in the same position, as they're not necessarily in win-now mode, but sort of stuck in neutral. Regardless, I think the Pirates could have one of the best starting rotations this year, but that won't be even for a playoff spot given the division.
5. Cincinnati Reds - Its getting old always penciling the Reds in for fifth place in the Central, but I don't see a scenario where they will finish higher than that. They still have a lot of growing pains to go through, their starting rotation is questionable although there is potential there, and they certainly have the offense. It's just not enough of a blend to make them relevant this year.
II. AL Central:
1. Minnesota Twins (Division Champions) - The Twins are primed for a season in which they go on an extended run and really show off the talent on their roster to the rest of the league. It's hard not to pick the Indians to win the division, but I think the Twins did enough this past offseason, to put themselves ahead of the Indians and don't sleep on the Twins young offensive core either.
2. Cleveland Indians (Wild Card II) - While I don't have the Indians winning the AL Central, I definitely have them as a Wild Card team and believe Terry Francona will go up against his former club, the Boston Red Sox, in that game. Cleveland still has a terrific starting rotation, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen at the back of their bullpen, and plenty of offensive forces in their lineup.
3. Chicago White Sox (Stay Relevant until the Start of September) - I think there is a case to be made that the White Sox will stay relevant through the start of September simply because of the young, talented players that their roster is composed of. In addition, they will have to play the Royals and Tigers, two teams who are rebuilding, 19 teams this year meaning that there will be plenty of opportunities for them to surprise some folks.
4. Detroit Tigers - Here is another case where you could flip a coin and put the Tigers in 4th with the Royals in 5th or vice versa. Both clubs are in the same position, as they are looking to rebuild, stock up depth down in the farm system, and look towards the future. However, the Tigers still have Michael Fulmer, Miguel Cabrera who could be in for a big year, and youngsters like Jose Iglesias and Nick Castellanos.
5. Kansas City Royals - The Royals will probably finish in the bottom 3 this year along with the Miami Marlins, who will finish with the worst record, and the aforementioned, Detroit Tigers. Either way, the Royals simply do not have enough pitching to even make them relevant and will continue to sell off pieces from their big league roster as the season wears on.
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