The Detroit Tigers won their fourth-straight AL Central title in 2014, outdistancing the Kansas City Royals by a single game. However, it was the Royals who got the last laugh thanks to a magical run to Game 7 of the World Series -- Kansas City's first brush with such success the Reagan administration.
Will the Tigers win a fifth-straight division crown? Are the Royals built to stick around in the chase? Here's how we see the AL Central shaking out.
**Click team names for extended team predictions**
1. Kansas City Royals
Say what you want about the departures of James Shields, Nori Aoki, and Billy Butler -- this team is still young and deep enough to contend for years to come. While the additions of Kendrys Morales and Alex Rios may not prove to be huge upgrades (or upgrades at all), there's reason for optimism about the rest of the lineup and one of the most feared bullpens in all of the game.
2. Detroit Tigers
The team's middle-of-the-order duo of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez are both coming off of injuries and the bullpen is shaky, but the rotation remains formidable with David Price and Alfredo Simon essentially replacing Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello. Add in improved defense from Jose Iglesias at short and there's enough to like about this Tigers team to suggest that they'll be in the thick of things both in the division and Wild Card races.
3. Chicago White Sox
There's plenty to like about a White Sox offseason that saw them land Jeff Samardzija and Melky Cabrera while weeding out at-bat eaters like Dayan Viciedo. Chicago's bullpen is in great shape as well with a couple new lefty specialists and former Yankees closer David Robertson holding down the back end, so expect the Southsiders to make some noise in the race for the final Wild Card spot.
4. Cleveland Indians
You could easily point to the team's young rotation and addition of former Oakland A's masher Brandon Moss and project playoffs for this team. However, this is still one of the worst defensive ballclubs in the Majors and there are plenty of question marks to be had about key pieces such as Jason Kipnis (finger injury) and Michael Brantley (potential regression candidate).
5. Minnesota Twins
The Twins are closer to contending, but the starting rotation is still a mess behind Phil Hughes. There's reason to expect better consistency on offense and some major progression from the team's young hitters, but until the pitching staff is figured out, this Twins team remains chained to the bottom of the divisional ladder.
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