Anyways, this year I’m picking the White Sox to win the AL Central – and I will tell you that usually if I deem it to be close, I will take the Twins just cuz I’d rather have that extra incentive to cheer for them. But I’m afraid they just have too many question marks this year.
I have faith the Twins can patch together their bullpen into an effective unit by the end of the year, as they have often done, but how long will it take? How many games will be lost during that process? And Joe Nathan is one year off Tommy John surgery… although he may, there’s no guarantees he will return to old form this year, and with how Gardy defers to the old guard, how many losses might it take us to find out?
To touch on the White Sox: they have a formidable lineup – Beckham-Rios-Konerko-Dunn-Quentin-Ramirez? yikes! – a comparable rotation, and what looks to be a dynamite bullpen (except for Jesse Crain). I can’t tell you much about their outfield defense, but their infield ‘D’ looks very good.
I see Detroit for 3rd, but they could be right there with aces Verlander and Scherzer fronting their rotation and Miguel Cabrera primed for another MVP-type season.
AL CENTRAL prediction:
1. Chicago 90-72
2. Minnesota 86-76
3. Detroit 84-78
4. Kansas City 72-90
5. Cleveland 68-94
The rest of my MLB predictions:
AL East Winner – BOSTON
AL Central Winner – CHICAGO
AL West Winner – TEXAS
AL Wildcard Winner – NEW YORK
AL Pennant Winner – BOSTON
AL MVP Winner – EVAN LONGORIA
AL Cy Young Winner – JON LESTER
AL Rookie of the Year Winner – JEREMY HELLICKSON
AL Manager of the Year Winner – OZZIE GUILLEN
AL Batting Champion – GORDON BECKHAM
AL Home Run King – MIGUEL CABRERA
AL ERA Leader – BRETT ANDERSON
AL Wins Leader – JUSTIN VERLANDER
AL Saves Leader – JORDAN WALDEN
NL Saves Leader – CRAIG KIMBREL
NL Wins Leader – ROY HALLADAY
NL ERA Leader – MAT LATOS
NL Home Run King – JAY BRUCE
NL Batting Champion – PABLO SANDOVAL
NL Manager of the Year – FREDI GONZALEZ
NL Rookie of the Year – CRAIG KIMBREL
NL Cy Young Winner – CLAYTON KERSHAW
NL MVP Winner – RYAN BRAUN
NL Pennant Winner – CINCINNATI
NL Wildcard Winner – SAN FRANCISCO
NL West Winner – COLORADO
NL Central Winner – CINCINNATI
NL East Winner – ATLANTA
World Series Champion – CINCINNATI