AL Central Division Preview: Guardians Slight Favorites to Defend Crown
Twins, White Sox Poised to Challenge Cleveland for First Place

The Cleveland Guardians, Major League Baseball’s youngest team, climbed into the driver’s seat in the American League Central late last summer and wound up running away with the division. Tied for first with the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 4, the Guardians went 18-3 over a 21-game stretch to win the AL Central by more than 10 games.
With Opening Day upon us, the Guardians are favored to defend their divisional crown at+135. The Twins (+200) and Chicago White Sox (+225) aren’t far behind, though.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds in our AL Central Division preview.
Chicago White Sox
Odds to win World Series: +3300 (13th)
Regular Season Wins: 82.5 (Over -110, Under -120)
Continuing Our AL Central Division Preview: Last season’s 81-81 disappointment led to mostly wholesale changes in the Windy City. Chicago bid adieu to Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa, replacing him with longtime Royals bench coach Pedro Grifol, and let former American League MVP Jose Abreu walk in free agency.
The White Sox did sign outfielder Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75 million deal. But they will need their core hitters — Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert — to stay in the lineup after battling injuries last season. Former first-round pick Andrew Vaughn is transitioning to first base to help replace Abreu.
Chicago has a staff ace in Dylan Cease (2.20 ERA, 227K in 2022), but there are questions in the bullpen. Three-time All-Star closer Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma during the offseason and it is uncertain when he will return.
Cleveland Guardians
Odds to win World Series: +2200 (Tied for 10th)
Regular Season Wins: 87.5 (Over -110, Under -120)
Cleveland is the slight favorite in thisAL Central preview. It’s no surprise. The Cleveland Guardians went 92-70 last season to win the division by 11 games, then beat Tampa Bay in the Wild Card Round and took the Yankees to a decisive Game 5 in the Divisional Series.
The Guardians have one of the game’s best young infields, with Jose Ramirez, Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario, a No. 1 starter in Shane Bieber and a lights-out closer in Emmanuel Clase, who led baseball with 42 saves in 2022.
Newly acquired Josh Bell should add pop to a lineup that relied primarily on timely hits and baserunning.
Detroit Tigers
Odds to win World Series: +15000 (26th)
Regular Season Wins: 69.5 (Over -105, Under -125)
Could Miguel Cabrera’s retirement tour be the main attraction on the MLB schedule at Comerica Park this summer?
Detroit has been stuck in a perpetual rebuild. Despite shelling out big bucks to free agents Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez last offseason, the Tigers went 66-96 — one game better than the last-place Royals — and finished with a losing record for the sixth consecutive season.
The free-swinging Baez slugged only 17 home runs and reached base at the second-lowest rate (.278) since his rookie season, while injuries limited Rodriguez to only five starts.
New general manager Scott Harris must hope that promising prospects Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson are ready to contribute sooner than later.
Kansas City Royals
Odds to win World Series: +20000 (27th)
Regular Season Wins: 68.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
First-year manager Matt Quatraro figures to have his hands full. Infielder Bobby Witt is a rising star and Brady Singer had a strong year in the rotation, but the Royals — who haven’t had a winning season since their World Series run in 2015 — are still nowhere near ready to contend again.
The budget-conscious club mostly sat out free agency, instead devoting their resources to smaller, low-risk signings such as Aroldis Chapman and Ryan Yarbrough. They also re-signed Zack Greinke.
Minnesota Twins
Odds to win World Series: +4000 (Tied for 14th)
Regular Season Wins: Over 83.5 (Over -125, Under -105)
Concluding Our AL Central Division Preview: Minnesota brought back shortstop Carlos Correa on a franchise-record $200 million contract after his deals with the Giants and Mets fell through. In doing so, the Twins signaled they’re ready to make a run at another AL Central title. They led the division for 108 days last year before a late-season swoon dropped them below .500 and into third place. At+200, they’re slightly behind Cleveland in our AL Central Division preview.
The Minnesota Twins acquired Pablo Lopez (10-10, 3.75 ERA) from Miami to bolster the rotation, but it cost them AL batting champion Luis Arraez. If oft-injured outfielder Byron Buxton struggles again to stay healthy, Minnesota’s lineup could be an issue. Both Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff are expected to begin the season on the injured list.
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