First Impressions From Each AL Central Team

[Cooper Carlson]

We are approaching the first full week of Major League Baseball in 2020. Let’s catch up with our AL Central friends! What are the first impressions they have given off? Were they good? Bad (Chicago)? Or somewhere in between?Minnesota Twins: They are who we thought they were.

 

Entering today the Twins are 3-1 with an offense that picked up right from 2019 and a pitching staff that seems improved. The “Bomba Squad” has already racked up the homers with Nelson Cruz leading the way. Luis Arraez is going to hit .400 and Jake Cabe has filled his role perfectly. The bullpen has been great and the starting pitching additions of Kenta Maeda, Homer Bailey, and Tyler Clippard are already paying off. First impressions are very good.

 

Cleveland Indians: They will be the Twins biggest rival this season.

 

There were questions about whether Cleveland was going to fall off and give way to the White Sox this season, but it doesn’t look like it. Shane Bieber, Mike Clevinger, and Carlos Carrasco lead an elite rotation and the lineup has done just enough to start the season 4-1. They weren’t the favorites to win the division, but they’re right up there with the Twins and in a 60 game season anything can happen.

 

Chicago White Sox: They are not a good team.

 

The Sox were everyone’s favorite “surprise pick” to go out and perform well this season. Maybe even steal the division from Minnesota and Cleveland. That’s simply not going to happen with their rotation depth. Behind Giolito and Keuchel they have Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, and Carlos Rodon. All three of them got rocked in their first start and no one was surprised. The bullpen and lineup will perform, but will it matter?

 

Detroit Tigers: Playoff bound?

 

Ok that was a joke. The Tigers are surprisingly 3-2 after taking the opening series against Cincinnati, but their -10 run differential isn’t pretty. Former Twin C.J. Cron is off to a stellar start, but he’s possibly their best offensive weapon and wouldn’t even crack the Twins starting nine. The Detroit pitching staff is not at all built to win, but Matt Boyd and Spencer Turnbull will be worth keeping an eye on.

 

Kansas City Royals: This lineup is still fun

 

The Royals won’t be a good team, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be dangerous on offense. The core four of Whit Merrifield, Adalberto Mondesi, Jorge Soler and Salvador Perez are all fun to watch and they will soon be getting Hunter Dozier back. The pitching staff has held up nicely in a few of the first five games, but how many Kansas City pitchers can you actually name off the top of your head?

 

AL Central Overview:

 

Things are going about it as expected unless you’re a White Sox fan. They look hopeless while Minnesota and Cleveland look great. Detroit and Kansas City are always just kind of hanging around.

 

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[mikelink45]

We are .067% of the season at this point.  Are the White Sox done?  What if they win 5 in a row?  What if the Twins and Cleveland lose five in a row?  What if the Indians and the Twins have a COVID attack like the Marlins?

 

Looking at the other teams - what if the Tigers bring up their three rotation star prospects and they all do great?  

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

We are .067% of the season at this point.  Are the White Sox done?  What if they win 5 in a row?  What if the Twins and Cleveland lose five in a row?  What if the Indians and the Twins have a COVID attack like the Marlins?

Sure, it's possible but Minnesota and Cleveland just put a real hurt on Chicago and there's little reason to expect that to change as the 2020 season progresses. 

 

In 2019, the Twins lost four games in a row once and three games in a row one (excluding the four game streak). Them losing five games in a row is... unlikely.

 

The fact is that it will be *very* hard for Chicago to even hang with Cleveland and Minnesota, much less pass them, especially given the hole they dug themselves out of the gate.

[Chachi]

I don't have the science to back this up - but any team with Encarnacion on it is capable of splitting a season series with the Twins.

[SoDakTwinsFan4]

"I don't have the science to back this up - but any team with Encarnacion on it is capable of splitting a season series with the Twins."

 

 

Are you being serious? If so I strongly disagree with this statement. He accounts for 4-5 plate appearances a game. Thats it. I think a better statement would read: "Encarnacion in the middle of the YANKEES lineup can win a series anytime"

[Doctor Gast]

Sox played the top 2 teams of both central divisions  right off the bat, so the rest of the season will be much easier. They`ll do better. Surprises so far are, DET is starting better & Reds worse. 

[bighat]

 

I don't have the science to back this up - but any team with Encarnacion on it is capable of splitting a season series with the Twins.

Agreed.

That White Sox offense was scary. And this Luis Robert kid is the real deal. The Sox also lost Eloy Jimenez during the series with the Twins which is a blow. But at full strength, their offense is as good as anyone.

[Danchat]

I still think the Sox will make the playoffs, and will improve as the season goes. We're only at the 8% mark on the season, it's too early to call them down and out already.

[Chachi]

 

"I don't have the science to back this up - but any team with Encarnacion on it is capable of splitting a season series with the Twins."


Are you being serious? If so I strongly disagree with this statement. He accounts for 4-5 plate appearances a game. Thats it. I think a better statement would read: "Encarnacion in the middle of the YANKEES lineup can win a series anytime"

 

Perhaps my eyes deceive me, but it seems to me that Encarnacion is one of the biggest "Twin Killers" around (especially true now that we have hired Donaldson and won't face him anymore).  My guess is that if Encarnacion played the Twins every game he's be a runaway MVP....at the very least we have to be his favorite team to hit against in the AL?  Maybe he's just a guy I enjoy not liking.

 

 

[Chachi]

 

And this Luis Robert kid is the real deal.

 

yes.

[Cooper Carlson]

 

We are .067% of the season at this point.  Are the White Sox done?  What if they win 5 in a row?  What if the Twins and Cleveland lose five in a row?  What if the Indians and the Twins have a COVID attack like the Marlins?

 

Looking at the other teams - what if the Tigers bring up their three rotation star prospects and they all do great?  

These were first impressions. So far the Sox have been awful so that's what I wrote. Anything can happen, but it seems unlikely.

[Cooper Carlson]

 

Perhaps my eyes deceive me, but it seems to me that Encarnacion is one of the biggest "Twin Killers" around (especially true now that we have hired Donaldson and won't face him anymore).  My guess is that if Encarnacion played the Twins every game he's be a runaway MVP....at the very least we have to be his favorite team to hit against in the AL?  Maybe he's just a guy I enjoy not liking.

You are correct, Encarnacion kills the Twins. Lifetime .280/.378/.560 (.938) with 28 homers in 97 games. Won't make up for their starting pitching, though.

[highlander]

They are who we thought they were! But, we didn't let them off the hook.

[SoDakTwinsFan4]

You are correct, Encarnacion kills the Twins. Lifetime .280/.378/.560 (.938) with 28 homers in 97 games. Won't make up for their starting pitching, though.

He's ONE GUY. Yes he does well against the Twins. I'm not too worried

[Steve Lein]

What I saw with Chicago: Bad defense, lineup that will be boom or bust, not nearly enough pitching.

 

Said it all offseason, this is not the year for the White Sox to breakout. It was going to take them too long to gel with all the rookies and free agent splurges in a 162 game season, so that's magnified in a 60 game sprint. 

 

Good chance they make an expanded playoffs with Detroit and Kansas City in the division, but I don't see much better than a .500 record with that defense and pitching. They're going to be a good team, but becoming that this year was always wishful thinking to me.

 

(Luis Robert is gonna be a thorn for a long time, he looks legit)