The Cleveland Guardians ended up winning the American League Central in 2022, even though they were projected to finish behind Minnesota and the White Sox. Once again, the division is wide open, as none of the teams have put together dominant rosters. The Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals are in rebuild mode, but the other three teams all have a realistic shot at the title. Let’s break down each team (presented in predicted order of finish in the division) as you think about MLB betting for the 2023 season.
MLB News: 2023 AL Central Division Predictions
Minnesota Twins
The Twins did deal away last year’s American League batting champion, Luis Arraez, but they do have Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, two realistic MVP candidates. Max Kepler and Joey Gallo have come to town to play in the outfield, and both are looking to rebound from disappointing campaigns in 2022. Christian Vazquez signed a three-year deal to catch along with Ryan Jeffers. Jorge Polanco will move to second in Arraez’s absence, and Jose Miranda will take the job at third. The starting rotation will have Sonny Gray and Pablo Lopez at the top, and Joe Ryan could win Rookie of the Year. Sandy Alcantara is another tough starter, and then Kenta Maeda is expected to be ready for the season after a long stay on the injured list. The bullpen has two closer-quality arms in Jorge Lopez and Jhoan Duran.
Cleveland Guardians
The starting rotation is still solid, led by Shane Bieber, who went over 200 innings and kept his ERA at 2.88. Triston McKenzie hit a career mark in innings pitched while posting a 2.95 ERA. Trading Mike Clevinger to San Diego for Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill was a win, as Quantrill now has two straight seasons with an ERA below 3.40. His postseason numbers were not impressive, with his ERA at 5.40 in two payoff starts, but the future is bright for him. The bullpen is anchored by elite closer Emmanuel Clase, and the relievers had a 1.08 combined ERA in last year’s playoffs. In the batting order, Jose Ramirez is the key producer. In the off-season, the Guardians added Josh Bell and Mike Zunino to improve the situation at catcher and first base. Both players are experienced and have power at the plate. Given the number of players who had career-best seasons last year, though, it’s hard to see the Guardians catching lightning in a bottle again.
Chicago White Sox
The Sox lost the heart of their franchise in the off-season when Jose Abreu signed a deal with Houston. Chicago kept Yasmani Grandal, Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez, but all three struggle to remain healthy. Andrew Benintendi has arrived via free agency, and shortstop Tim Anderson should be a solid leadoff hitter. Prospects Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn are at a point where they need to contribute. The lineup is still fragile due to injury concerns. The starting rotation still has ace Dylan Cease, who was the runner-up in AL Cy Young balloting in 2022. Lance Lynn has seen his fastball drop to the low 90s and may never again show his Cy Young contender form. Michael Kopech threw 119 innings last year, a career high, and had serviceable numbers. The bullpen should be decent, with Kendall Graveman, Jake Diekman, Joe Kelly and Aaron Bummer. Closer Liam Hendriks is recovering from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, so the team will need someone else to step up and get saves. Given the fragility on the roster, it’s hard to see the Sox contending.
Detroit Tigers
The Tigers spent big in free agency last year (over $100 million), but they dropped from 77-85 in 2021 to 66-95 in 2022. Their lineup scored just 3.44 runs per game, last in MLB. Just about everyone struggled, such as Javy Baez, who had one of the worst years in his career. Former top draft pick Spencer Torkelson hit just .200 with eight home runs, showing that he was not ready for the major leagues. Riley Greene was a bright spot, playing elite defense in center field, but Jonathan Schoop put up dreadful numbers, and Austin Meadows spent most of 2022 on injured reserve. The Tigers traded Gregory Soto for Nick Maton and Matt Vierling, and both should contribute right away. Maton played well with Philadelphia last year, and Vierling is a terrific infielder and outfielder defensively, but his hitting is average. Will the Tigers hit better in what could be Miguel Cabrera’s last time around with the team? On the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez came to town last year on a five-year, $77 million contract, but he missed several months for personal reasons and finished with a 4.02 ERA. Casey Mize only lasted ten innings before having to get Tommy John surgery, and he has no timetable to return right now. Spencer Turnbull and Tarik Skubal are also both on the injured list to start the season, but when they return, they will be major rotation contributors. The bullpen lost Soto via trade, and Michael Fulmer and Andrew Chafin are also gone, so relief pitching could be an adventure.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals have been rebuilding for a while now, but contending is still a ways off. They do have some young talent in their batting order, such as Vinnie Pasquantino, M.J. Melendez, and Bobby Witt Jr., who hit 20 home runs among 57 extra-base hits in his rookie campaign. With such prospects as Edward Olivares, Michael Massey, Drew Waters and Nick Pratto on the way, the future is bright, but 2023 will be a mess. The rotation is led by Brady Singer, who had a 2.85 ERA over 23 starts after returning from the minors on May 17. He was the first KC pitcher to hit double digits in wins last year. However, the rest of the rotation is Ryan Yarbrough, Jordan Lyles, and a Zach Greinke past his prime. The Royals might score a lot of runs, but they will give up even more.
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