LestersLegends.com

LestersLegends.com is teaming up with EE Sports World.com to break down all the divisions in baseball. My assignment was the AL Central. I’ll review the teams in the order I expect them to finish.
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First Place:  Minnesota Twins
The key to the Twins success is the health of Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan. Minnesota did an excellent job piecing things together last year with Jim Thome, Michael Cuddyer and company, but if they want to repeat as American League Central Champions, they’ll need Morneau’s bat. The Twins always seem to get by at closer so this isn’t nearly as primary a concern. Even if he falters, they have Matt Capps as an insurance policy.
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The Twins added Tsuyoshi Nishioka in the offseason to bolster their middle infield. The rest of their moves were just securing their free agents, namely Carl Pavano and Jim Thome. Delmon Young and Danny Valencia were pleasant surprises for the Twins last year while Michael Cuddyer once again showed his versatility. Denard Span struggled at times, but should bounce back.
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Francisco Liriano shined in the rotation, which will be the key to the Twins success. If they can get strong efforts from Liriano, Pavano, Scott Baker, and company there is a good chance that Ron Gardenhire pulls the right strings again to maintain A.L. Central dominance.
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Second Place:  Chicago White Sox
The White Sox added some firepower in the offseason by bringing in Adam Dunn to join the likes of Alex Rios, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Carlos Quentin. Juan Pierre will once again set the table, and Gordon Beckham looks to break out.
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The White Sox have a solid rotation, and should get a nice boost when Jake Peavy returns from shoulder surgery around the All-Star Break. Until then, it will be up to John Danks, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, and Edwin Jackson to carry the load. The White Sox lost Bobby Jenks in the bullpen, but Matt Thornton and Chris Sale should be up to the task.
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Ozzie Guillen will be entertaining, or annoying depending on your point of view, once again. You cannot accuse him of not speaking his mind. The White Sox seem to have a mental block that keeps them from getting past the Twins. If they can overcome it, the division is theirs for the taking.
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Third Place:  Detroit Tigers
Miguel Cabrera is the most talented player in the division, but he may also be the most troubled. Good news for Tigers fans and his fantasy owners that his arrest happened before the season started. He’s dealing with a serious issue though that is bigger than baseball. Fortunately the structure of the season could be what he needs to keep his life in order.
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On a less serious note, the addition of Victor Martinez gives the team a little more firepower. With Austin Jackson, Ryan Raburn, Carlos Guillen, and Jhonny Peralta, the Tigers could have a potent offense in 2011. Justin Verlander anchors the pitching staff with Max Scherzer living up to his promise. There are question marks in the back end of their rotation, which makes it hard for me to imagine they can surpass the Twins or the White Sox.
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Fourth Place:  Cleveland Indians
The Indians could actually surprise some people this year. Shin-Soo Choo is one of the most underrated players in the American League. Grady Sizemore is trying to recover from knee surgery. He was one of the most exciting players in baseball, and could really help their offense. Carlos Santana looks like one of the best young catchers in the league while Orlando Cabrera will provide veteran leadership. If players like Michael Brantley and Matt LaPorta can take the next step, the Tribe have an outside shot of taking third place.
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That is, if they get the pitching they need. Fausto Carmona had a strong year, but if he loses his mechanics on his sinker, he can go south fast. Justin Masterson has the goods, he just needs to work on his control issues. Too many free passes lead to big innings. Chris Perez is a solid closer, but the rest of the pitching staff is loaded with question marks.
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Fifth Place:  Kansas City Royals
Zack Greinke is gone. Jeff Francis, Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies, and Vin Mazzaro do not intimidate opposing batters. Joakim Soria is one of the best closers in the American League, but how many leads will he be able to protect? Speaking of protecting, who is going to protect Billy Butler in the Royals’ lineup? Mike Aviles had a strong finish to last year and Kila Ka’aihue has a cool name and some pop, but this is a team that is going to struggle to avoid 100 losses.
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Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

1. Can Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios bounce back?
Quentin has missed significant time the past two years because of injuries. Juan Pierre was brought on board to help set the table. His foot has healed and as long as he can avoid the injury bug, he should be a high-end OF again.

Rios was having a disappointing season even before he was dealt to the White Sox. He hit a brutal .199 for his new club with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs in 146 ABs. The bad news for Rios is he’ll be playing his home games outside. His AB/HR in outdoor parks is 43.5 compared to 29.9. Minnesota no longer has a dome, which would also work against him. His average and OPS have been on the decline the past four seasons.

2. How about Jake Peavy?
Peavy likely won’t be as dominant this year as in year’s past. He has to face a steady dose of American League hitters without the comfort of PETCO Park. Working in his favor though is the absence of the World Baseball Classic. I believe that threw off his April last year, which led to his bloated 5.74 ERA in April.

3. And Grady Sizemore?
He battled through an elbow injury and a hernia to still put up respectable numbers (73 runs, 18 HRs, 64 RBI, 13 SB in 436 ABs). Don’t let his numbers get you down on him though. Not many players can bring we he can to the table. Bump him down a few spots from where you had him ranked going into last year, but don’t let him slide too long.

4. What will the Indians do with Michael Brantley?
The Indians have a good problem having four quality OFers for three spots. Grady Sizemore, Matt LaPorta, and Shin-Soo Choo are blocking the path for Brantley, who hit .313 after replacing Sizemore last year. LaPorta can play some First Base, which would allow Brantley to play in LF. LaPorta is one of the Indians’ few right-handed hitters though so don’t expect him to be out of the lineup very frequently. Brantley can play all three OF positions, which will help his cause. The Indians could choose to send him to Triple-A so he can get steady playing time. In any case, take the wait-and-see approach with him.

5. Can Austin Jackson replace Curtis Granderson?
He certainly doesn’t have the power, but he has flashed his speed stealing 24 bases to go along with nine triples last year for Triple-A Scranton. He hit .300 as well. He’ll be challenged by Clete Thomas and Ryan Rayburn. Watch that battle during Spring Training.

6. Will Zack Greinke get some help?
Gil Meche should be better for starters assuming his back and arm are healed. His ERA surged above 5.00 after being below 4.00 in his previous two years with the Royals. Luke Hochevar has a world of talent, and the former #1 pick should be better. He can’t get much worse. I’d hold off on drafting him unless he shows some promise during Spring Training.

7. What will the Twins’ new ballpark bring?
All you have to do is look at the two New York ballparks, and you know they can be unpredictable. The Yankees play in a launching pad while the Mets saw a power outage. The Twins won’t get as may infield hits as they move to grass. See where Justin Morneau ranks among fantasy First Basemen.

8. Will J.J. Hardy rebound?
Hardy was terrible last year, but a change of scenery could do him wonders. He goes to a club that is starving for solid Shortstop play after they dealt away Jason Bartlett a couple years back. Hardy averaged 83.5 runs, 25 HRs, and 77 RBIs in 2007 & 2008. In a lineup that features Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Denard Span, Jason Kubel, and Denard Span, a resurgence is very likely.

9. What will the Twins do at Third Base?
This is an annual issue. Nick Punto plays a great Third Base, but can’t hit. Brendan Harris had his moments. Joe Crede returning isn’t out of the question. No matter what their “solution” is, it’s not a fantasy friendly one. Look elsewhere.

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