American League Central Mid-Season Review
Tigers, White Sox, Twins All In The Hunt In The Central
Jul 12, 2009
The Tigers have been the best team in the American League Central in the first half, but can they hang on?
Detroit Tigers - First Place
The Tigers were coming off a terribly disappointing season last year but they have bounced back nicely this year. They have led the division virtually all season. Their pitching has been very good. They have gotten a nice bounce back year out of their ace Justin Verlander and a great year out of newcomber Edwin Jackson, who is second in the league in E.R.A. They've also been solid offensively led by Brandon Inge and Miguel Cabrera. They have played particularly well at home where they are 27-13. The Tigers are clear cut favorites to win this division.
Chicago White Sox - 3.5 Games Back
The White Sox have had a solid first half. Their pitching has been decent led by Mark Buerhle. Their offense has been O.K. led by Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, and Jim Thome. These core players are aging, though, so their window of opportunity is closing. Adding another arm or a bat could help but they are unlikely to beat out Detroit in this division.
Minnesota Twins - 4 Games Back
The Twins seem to find a way to stay in the race every year. Their pitching has been decent led by Nick Blackburn who is sixth in the league in E.R.A. and Kevin Slowney, who has 10 wins. Francisco Liriano, though, has been very disappointing. They have one of the best 3-4 combos in Baseball in Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer, but the rest of the lineup is mediocre. The Twins figure to hang around all year before falling short in the end.
Kansas City Royals -11.5 Games Back
The Royals got off to a great start and even led the division for a while. Not surprisingly, it didn't last. Their offense has really struggled and is last in the league in runs. Mike Jacobs has been very disappointing. The pitching has also sturggled, except for one guy - Zack Greinke. He has 10 wins and leads the league in E.R.A. He has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season. He is a nice piece to build around heading into next season
Cleveland Indians - 14 Games Back
The Indians, who many people picked to win this division, have been the most disappointing team in Baseball. Their pitching has been atrocious, giving up the most runs in the league. The offense has been inconsistent. The defense has been poor. They haven't been able to get out of their own way this year. They should look to trade away their veterans and bring in some arms to rebuild their pitching staff heading into next season.
