2022 Baseball Preview, Part II

Last year, the AL Central was not very good.  The White Sox were, but everybody else wasn't.  What resulted was a division "race" that was decided by the All*Star Break, which I think actually ended up hurting Chicago once the playoffs came around.  That's where the sixth playoff team will make a huge difference.  Had there been the extra playoff team, the White Sox would've had a ton to play for in the second half last season...instead of just sitting there waiting for the playoffs to start.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for the White Sox, the rest of the division is better this season.  Well, most if it anyway.  Cleveland is actively not trying, and Kansas City may have brought Zack Greinke back, but that's about it.  But the Twins and Tigers are at least looking to be competitive, so Chicago's march to the division title won't be as straightforward as it was in 2021.

With that being said, however, the White Sox are the clear favorites to repeat as division champions.  Although the Twins have definitely gotten stronger and could give them a run for their money.  Don't forget, Minnesota won 100 games in 2019 and is clearly determined to get back to the playoffs after the moves they've made since the lockout ended.  Then there are the Tigers, who suddenly had all this money to spend in free agency!

Which is more than I can say about the Indians (sorry, "Guardians"...such a dumb name!) and Royals.  They'll be battling it out for last place, and I wouldn't be surprised if either (or both) loses 100 games.  They aren't the worst teams in baseball, however, so they've at least got that going for them.

1. Chicago White Sox: The White Sox are looking to do something this season that they've never done before--win back-to-back division titles.  And there's no reason to believe they won't.  Because, even though everybody else has gotten better, Chicago's still better than the rest of the division.  By a wide margin.  They've got an outstanding lineup and an outstanding pitching staff.  Simply put, this is one of the best teams in the American League.

Although, one injury could really derail everything.  Losing Carlos Rodon in free agency isn't that big a deal since Michael Kopech just slides into his spot in the rotation, and they have enough relievers to slide Kendall Graveman in as the closer if something happens to Liam Hendriks.  Their bench is not deep, though, so they can't afford to lose any starting position players.  And they're already down DH Yermin Mercedes for who knows how long?  That loss they can probably weather, but losing somebody like Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson or Yoan Moncada for any amount of time would be devastating and could derail their chances at repeating as division champs for the first time in franchise history.
Projected Lineup: Tim Anderson-SS, Adam Engel-RF, Jose Abreu-1B, Yoan Moncada-3B, Luis Robert-CF, Yasmani Grandal-C, Eloy Jimenez-LF, Leury Garcia-DH, Josh Harrison-2B
Projected Rotation: Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, Dallas Keuchel, Michael Kopech
Closer: Liam Hendriks
Projected Record: 91-71

2. Minnesota Twins: If anybody's gonna challenge the White Sox for the division title, it'll be the Twins.  They've sure been busy in the three weeks since the lockout was resolved, making that unexpected trade with the Yankees and unexpectedly being the team that landed Carlos Correa.  More significantly, rather than shopping Byron Buxton, they signed him to an extension.  That's further proof they view last season as an aberration.

This is a team that's all about offense.  Don't forget, they set a Major League record for home runs in 2019, and they're likely to hit a bunch again.  So, really, it could come down to their rebuilt rotation.  They're taking a major risk with Sonny Gray and Dylan Bundy.  Will they get the Yankee version of Gray or the Red version?  Likewise, will they get the Bundy who was the Orioles' top prospect or the one who struggled with the Angels?  Same thing with Chris Archer, who could be a major steal if he can revert to his form of a couple years ago.
Projected Lineup: Byron Buxton-CF, Jorge Polanco-2B, Carlos Correa-SS, Miguel Sano-1B, Max Kepler-RF, Gary Sanchez-C, Luis Arraez-DH, Gio Urshela-3B, Alex Kirilloff-LF
Projected Rotation: Sonny Gray, Dylan Bundy, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Archer
Closer: Taylor Rogers
Projected Record: 87-75

3. Detroit Tigers: After a few years hanging out with the Royals at the bottom of the standings, the Tigers went out and made a big splash, signing Javy Baez.  They were in on Carlos Correa, too, but ended up seeing him sign with a division rival instead.  Regardless, Detroit is clearly making an effort to be relevant this season.  And there's actually a decent chance that they will be.  Are they remotely close to the same level as the White Sox or the AL East teams?  No.  But they're getting there.  And in the AL Central that might be enough.

They're gonna hit.  Miguel Cabrera's a shell of his former self, which is why it was so important to add Baez and bring depth to the lineup.  Having Miggy at DH instead of first base will help, too.  And if Detroit can get the pitching to go with that lineup, they've got a real chance to make some noise.  The problem is there are a lot of question marks on that pitching staff, though.  Mainly regarding the health of some of their additions.  But if they can get the 2019 version of Eduardo Rodriguez and/or Michael Pineda, they might be in decent shape.  While they might be a year or two away from the playoffs, finishing .500 is definitely a realistic goal.
Projected Lineup: Akil Baddoo-LF, Javier Baez-SS, Jemier Candelario-3B, Miguel Cabrera-DH, Robbie Grossman-RF, Spencer Torkelson-1B, Riley Greene-CF, Jonathan Schoop-2B, Tucker Barnhart-C
Projected Rotation: Casey Mize, Eduardo Rodriguez, Spencer Turnbull, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal
Closer: Gregory Soto
Projected Record: 80-82

4. Cleveland Guardians: How long will Jose Ramirez still be in Cleveland?  That's really the most pressing question regarding the Guardians heading into the 2022 season.  Because there's little to no chance he'll still be there after the trade deadline.  Especially since you know there'll be a contender looking for a third baseman.  I wouldn't be surprised if Franmil Reyes is traded at some point this season, either.  They're clearly rebuilding, so we'll see a lot of guys nobody's ever heard of wearing Cleveland uniforms at some point this season.

You know what though?  They have the pitching to give everyone else fits.  Provided they stay healthy and aren't traded, of course.  It's not like it's just Shane Bieber and that's it either.  Their top four (Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac and Cal Quantrill) are all good.  So, if Cleveland has any chance at all this season, it'll be because of that pitching staff.  Still, I doubt they'll get enough offense behind Ramirez and Reyes.  And, like I said earlier, 100 losses seems more likely than playoff contention.
Projected Lineup: Amed Rosario-SS, Josh Naylor-LF, Jose Ramirez-3B, Franmil Reyes-DH, Oscar Mercado-RF, Bobby Bradley-1B, Sandy Leon-C, Myles Straw-CF, Andres Gimenez-2B
Projected Rotation: Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie
Closer: Emmanuel Clase
Projected Record: 68-94

5. Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. is projected to make the Royals' Opening Day roster as their starting third baseman, which is incredibly exciting news!  The arrival of baseball's No. 1 prospect marks a bit of a transition in Kansas City.  They're working in some young guys who'll be the core of their next wave of competitive teams, while still leaning on some veterans, particularly franchise cornerstone Salvador Perez, who would've been an MVP candidate last year if not for the historic seasons by Ohtani and Guerrero (and the fact that he was on a team that wasn't good).

It's also a blast from the past with Zack Greinke back in KC.  I certainly didn't see that one coming.  Still, even with Greinke, Kansas City doesn't have the pitching to contend.  On paper, I'd say their lineup might be a little better than Cleveland's.  But the Guardians' pitching is so much better that I have to give them the "edge" in the battle for last place.  Neither team is bad enough to lose 100 games, but neither is good enough to contend with the top three teams (well, maybe the Tigers, but certainly not the White Sox and Twins).
Projected Lineup: Whit Merrifield-RF, Michael A. Taylor-CF, Salvador Perez-C, Carlos Santana-1B, Hunter Dozier-DH, Adalberto Mondesi-SS, Bobby Witt Jr.-3B, Andrew Benintendi-LF, Nicky Lopez-2B
Projected Rotation: Zack Greinke, Brad Keller, Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic
Closer: Scott Barlow
Projected Record: 66-96