This division should be insane this year. Good luck figuring out who will win it. After the great response I got to my last "which-would-you-take" post, I have another question. How will the AL Central end up this year? Let's run down the teams.
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox won the tiebreaker for the division title over the Twins last year.
Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski
Pierzynski is, of course, very controversial and can be hotheaded at times. But the bottom line for him is, this guy is a winner. And he's very consistent. His homer and RBI totals rest around 15 and 60, respectively. And his average has a way of fluctuating from year to year. His average every other year is about .285ish, and on the other years it's around .260. His career average is .284, and career OBP is .326. Last year he hit .281, so expect a slight downswing in average, but other than that, he should be exactly the same as he always is, everyone hating him, helping the White Sox win in any way he can.
1st Baseman: Paul Konerko
Konerko's average is way down from his prime years, which are clearly history. He's still a 25-homer threat, but his averages in the last two years have been .259 and .240. His fielding is okay, as it always has been. But--BUT-he is an excellent leader in the clubhouse and on the field. He, of course, is the captain of the team, joining Derek Jeter and Jason Varitek as the only team captains in the American League. He is an amazing veteran presence on the team at age 33 and should stay at first with the Sox for many years to come. While his production is down, he is certainly an indispensable leader.
2nd Baseman: Chris Getz
I do not know anything about Chris Getz. He hit .286 last year in 10 games, and was awarded the starting second base job this spring. Apparently he had a very good minor league career. Yep, that's what I know.
3rd Baseman: Josh Fields
Fields is competing with former Yankee Wilson Betemit for the third base job. Last year he didn't play much, hitting .156 in 32 major league at-bats. However, in 2007, when Joe Crede was injured, he filled in and hit 22 homers with a .244 average in 100 games and 373 at-bats. He can also play left field, but the White Sox are packed in the outfield. He's not a great defender, but his hitting should be enough for him to keep the job from Betemit.
Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez
A top Rookie Of The Year candidate last year with a .290 average, 21 homers, 77 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases, Ramirez is being counted on to help lead the team this year. He's making the switch over to shortstop this year. However, he's very versatile and can play most positions. The little guy has 30-20 potential and plays pretty good defense. He is one player who the team is hoping to build upon for the coming years.
Left Field: Carlos Quentin
Quentin was one of the year's biggest, if not the biggest, surprise of 2008. He had a shot at the MVP before he broke his wrist in a rage in August. He still had an excellent year, hitting .288 with 36 homers and 100 RBIs. He plays pretty decent defense in the outfield. I would expect a 45-homer season this year, partly because he is still maturing at age 26, and partly because people who live around Arizona (like me) saw some flashes of his potential with the Diamondbacks in 2006, when he hit 9 homers and had a .253 average in 166 at-bats.
Center Field: Dewayne Wise and/or Brian Anderson
Wise will probably be platooning with Anderson for the center field job this year. Jerry Owens could also potentially win a spot there. They are all out of options, and at least one of them will probably be moved at some point during this season. Wise has never started, but is tearing it up this Spring Training, and last year hit .248 in 129 at-bats. He has fair speed and is a very good defender in the outfield. Brian Anderson was once considered the White Sox' future in center field, but now after three years and 579 at-bats he has a .221 career average and 18 homers. He's a good defender, though, but he's not special when it comes to speed. Owens, I believe, is the most intriguing of the three. He was hurt last year and only played 12 games, but if he's healthy he could improve upon his 2007 season, when in 93 games he hit .267 (a .324 OBP) and stole 32 bases while being caught only 8 times.
Right Field: Jermaine Dye
I do not know why the White Sox have been discussing shopping Dye. In 2007 he had a down year with a .254 average, but in '08 he really bounced back with a .292 average, 34 homers, and 96 RBIs. I expect he'll have a slight downswing from last year being 35 years old, but I expect 2007 was a fluke. He's an okay fielder, but he has the arm of an NFL quarterback in right.
Designated Hitter: Jim Thome
Despite being 38 years old, Thome has hit 111 homers in his 3-year White Sox career. The aging slugger should probably be a 30-homer threat for at least two more years, but after that, it's time to start looking for a future DH. But for now, Thome will provide veteran leadership and power in the middle of the lineup.
Looks like the White Sox have a fierce but aging lineup.
No. 1 Starter: Mark Buehrle
Slow-working Buehrle will likely be the ace of the staff for several years to come. He doesn't often win a lot more games than he loses, but at least you know what you're getting with him. 12-15 wins, 9-12 losses, a 3.80 ERA, and about half as many strikeouts as innings pitched. The 30-year old lefty does not have overpowering stuff, but it's good enough to always keep the team in the game.
No. 2 Starter: John Danks
John Danks is ready for the big-time. He was acquired from the Texas Rangers before the 2007 season. His great start to win the tie-breaker was his 12th win of the year in 2008, putting him at 12-9 with a 3.32 ERA. He also had 159 strikeouts. He has pretty good stuff, and he's a lefty. All these things are in his favor. I hereby declare that one day, John Danks will be an ace.
No. 3 Starter: Gavin Floyd
Last year was a huge breakout for Floyd, who was a prospect for many years. Acquired from the Phillies before the '07 season, Floyd went 17-8 last year with a 3.84 ERA. He does not have overpowering stuff, so don't expect another 17 win year, but he really learned how to harness his stuff and really pitch last year. The 26-year old righty rounds out a very good, solid, top 3 in the rotation.
No. 4 Starter: Jose Contreras
This big former Yankee's future is in doubt after health and consistency issues. He uses varying arm angles when he's pitching. His stuff is decent most of the time, but lately his ERA has hovered around the 5.00 area. We'll see if he's healthy enough to try and go back to being a halfway decent pitcher.
No. 5 Starter: Bartolo Colon
Back on the South Side, Colon is also trying to stay healthy. Last year with the Red Sox he showed some flashes of his former self, going 4-2 with a 3.92 ERA in 7 starts. He has 150 wins in his career at age 35.
Other people who could win the 4 or 5 spot in the rotation are Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez.
Looks like the White Sox have a good 1-2-3 punch at the top and depth in the back of their rotation.
Closer: Bobby Jenks
Big Jenks, he of the 100 MPH fastball and snap-dragon curve has become a truly elite closer. He is a fiery competitor and if he is not traded, he will likely be a bullpen fixture for years to come in Chicago.
Other bullpen members should include Octavio Dotel, Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton, and D.J. Carrasco.
It appears that the White Sox are a good, deep, and predominantly young team. Let's see about Cleveland.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians have gone up-and-down yearly for quite some time now, and after a down year last year, they're looking like they have another 90-win season coming up.
Catcher: Victor Martinez
Martinez was hurt last year, and Kelly Shoppach filled in admirably, with 21 homers. Martinez may be headed to first base eventually, but for now Ryan Garko is blocking that move. Martinez is certainly one of the best offensive catchers in the league, good for a .310 average and 20 homers with 100 RBIs most years.
1st Baseman: Ryan Garko
Garko, a former catcher, is a good hitter and may move to left field to make room for Martinez at first. Offensively, he's good for a .270 to .290 average and has 30-homer potential, but will likely hit about 20 this year.
2nd Baseman: Asdrubal Cabrera
After a breakout 2007, Cabrera was somewhat disappointing in 2008. In '07 he hit .283 and had 3 homers with 22 RBIs in 159 at-bats. But last year, in his first full season, he had a .259 average and 6 homers with 47 ribbies. He's nothing special, speed-wise, but he is an outstanding fielder who turned a legendary unassisted triple play last year.
3rd Baseman: Mark DeRosa
After a 2006 breakout season in Texas, DeRosa signed on with the Cubs in '07 to play second. In his two years there he finally matured into a .290 hitter good for 15-20 homers a year. He was traded to the Indians this offseason to fill the third base hole left by the midseason departure of Casey Blake. He can play basically every position except for catcher and pitcher.
Shortstop: Jhonny Peralta
Well, it took quite some time, but Peralta is now a 20-homer hitter with great RBI potential. He is below-average defensively, but his offense is good enough to compensate for that. After having eye surgery for a bizzare bout of "day-blindness", he should continue his powerful ways for several years.
Left Field: Ben Francisco
Entering his 3rd season, Francisco, like many other players, has the potential to hit 20 homers this year. Last year he hit .266 with 15 taters and 54 RBIs. That was in 447 at-bats. He plays pretty good defense in the outfield. He's not a great runner, but he's still young, which leaves room for improvement in all areas.
Center Field: Grady Sizemore
Cleveland's heartthrob just keeps getting better. Though his batting average has dropped, his OBP has stayed up very high (.374 last year). He established career highs in homers (33), stolen bases (38) and RBIs (90) last year. He is and always has been an absolutely great defender in center with a strong arm. Expect an MVP-type season next year. He's still in his mid-20s, and is probably the biggest 50-50 threat out there.
Right Field: Shin-Soo Choo
Once considered an untouchable prospect by the Mariners, Choo absolutely tore it up in the second half last year. He ended up hitting .309 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs in 317 at-bats. He also had a ridiculous .397 OBP. He's a fair defender with an all-right arm. Expect Choo to mature further this year into a .310-.330 hitter.
Designated Hitter: Travis Hafner
This guy was positively a mystery last year. In 2006, he hit .308 with 42 homers and 117 RBIs. In '07, he hit .266 with 24 HRs and 100 ribbies. Last year, he hit a putrid .197 with 5 homers and 24 runners driven in in 198 at-bats before he was sent down to the minors. The huge 31-year old lefty has had some injury problems of late, but is apparently healthy now. The jury's out on how he'll perform this year.
Looks like the Indians have a pretty strong lineup, and it could be great should everyone live up to their potential.
No. 1 Starter: Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer Lee was almost definitely the biggest surprise of 2008. In 2007, in his 20 major league games, he was 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA before being demoted all the way to A ball. He came into 2008 fighting for a spot in the rotation, when he barely won the 4th one. By the end of the calendar year, he had won the Cy Young with an incredible 22-3 record and a 2.54 ERA. I wouldn't expect another 22 wins, but he has re-mastered the art of pitching and should be back to his 15-win self of 2004-'06.
No. 2 Starter: Fausto Carmona
A brief rundown of Fausto Carmona's career: In 2006 he broke into the league. That year the Indians tried him out in the closer role. What followed can only be described as an epic failure. He blew all three save opportunities he had within a week, and ended up with a 1-10 record in 31 relief appearances. In '07, he teamed with CC Sabathia at the top of the rotation and had a 19-8 record with a 3.06 ERA, before faltering against the Red Sox in the ALCS. Like many key 2007 team members, though, in 2008 he had a serious down year, going a mere 8-7 with a 5.44 ERA. He still has electric stuff, with a 96 MPH fastball and a great sinker. So the question is, will he be Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde this season?
No. 3 Starter: Carl Pavano
Everyone knows the Carl Pavano story. When he finally finished his Yankee years, the Indians picked him up, taking a chance. He showed some flashes that he could potentially win games still last year, going 4-2, but he had a 5.77 ERA. He still has a pretty good sinker and a decent curveball, so we'll see. That's assuming he can get through the year without breaking a fingernail or something.
No. 4 Starter: Scott Lewis
I don't know much about Scott Lewis. Last year the lefty went 4-0 in 4 starts with 15 strikeouts in 24 innings. But that's basically all I know about him.
No. 5 Starter: Anthony Reyes
After parting ways midseason with the St. Louis Cardinals over a dispute with Dave Duncan, Reyes went 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 6 starts last year in Cleveland. The man with the flat-brimmed hat and candy-cane striped socks was named the 5th starter by Eric Wedge a couple of days ago.
Jake Westbrook will likely rejoin the team around midseason.
The Cleveland rotation looks like it could be very solid, but there are many question marks.
Closer: Kerry Wood
After so many injury-wracked years in Chicago, Wood, presumably healthy at last, closed games for the Cubs and had great success, saving 34 games in 40 attempts with a 2.63 ERA. The Cubs elected to let him go and let Carlos Marmol and Kevin Gregg duke it out for the closer job, so Cleveland scooped him up. A healthy Wood should be a good closer, but health is, of course, a huge problem.
Other bullpen members include Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Rafael Betancourt, and Jensen Lewis.
Looks like the Indians have all the potential to be a good team this year. Three teams to go!
Detroit Tigers
After a very disappointing year, no one best count out the Tigers. They still have tons of talent on the team.
Catcher: Gerald Laird
Laird is an excessively average catcher. Last year he hit .276 and has a .255 career average. He's a 5-10 homer-a-year hitter, and should hit about 20 doubles this year. He's merely solid defensively.
1st Baseman: Miguel Cabrera
Still losing the excess weight he had at the beginning of the 2007 season, Cabrera last year hit .292 and led the league with 37 homers. Still 26, Cabrera has 175 career homers. He started his career in left field and later switched to third base, being a bit of a defensive burden at both of those positions. A virtual lock to hit .310-.330 with 35 homers and 120 ribbies, Cabrera can now let his bat do the talking.
2nd Baseman: Placido Polanco
Polanco is an outstanding defender at second. He is a good, solid, number two hitter. In his last three years he hit .295, .341, and .307. He's not a big power hitter, averaging a Laird-esque 5-10 homers a year. He has slightly more RBIs than Laird, getting about 55 a year. He's got fair speed, but nothing great. He hits about 35 doubles a year, crossing the plate about 100 times a year.
3rd Baseman: Brandon Inge
Super versatile Inge will be moving back to third this year. He does not hit for high average at all, with a .237 career BA. In a full season, he could well hit 20 home runs with 75 RBIs. He doesn't have incredible speed, but it's good enough.
Shortstop: Adam Everett
Everett, terrible with the bat, is about as slick a fielder as you can get. The man with the .246 career average and 37 homers in 2,272 at-bats was signed for one year this offseason.
Left Field: Carlos Guillen
Guillen is certainly on the decline. This year he is moving to left after splitting last year between 1st and 3rd, and spending the year before that at short. He hit .286 last year, four points below his career average. He played in only 113 games last year, but the low totals of 10 homers and 54 RBIs still indicate he's now on the downswing at age 33.
Center Field: Curtis Granderson
Granderson, after the first ever 20-20-20-20 season in 2007, was hurt for some of 2008 and was not quite as good as before, with a .280 average. He had 22 homers and 66 RBIs with a mere 12 steals. He still managed to score 112 runs, though. As usual, he played stellar defense in center field and continued to show his strong arm and range.
Right Field: Magglio Ordonez
He won't be hitting .363 again, but last year he managed a .317 average and a .376 OBP. He's a 20-homer hitter and can be counted on to drive in 100+ runs. He's a 30-double guy as well. Also he's a fairly good fielder with a solid arm. Expect a few more years of him being in the top few outfielders in the league.
Designated Hitter: Gary Sheffield
Sheffield hit 17 homers in the second half last year after a terrible start. He still was barely able to muster up a .225 average, though. At 499 career homers, this is one of the 40-year old Sheffield's last years.
UPDATE: The Tigers have released Sheffield, leaving Marcus Thames as the likely DH.
The Tigers have a talented lineup but it has to produce to its potential for them to compete.
No. 1 Starter: Justin Verlander
Last year was just a horrible step back for Verlander. With the Tigers he went, going 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA after two years of 17-9, 3.63, and 18-6, 3.66. However, he's still got the talent and will likely bounce back to being an ace this year.
No. 2 Starter: Edwin Jackson
Jackson still has electric stuff. He was picked up in a trade from the Rays this offseason. There he was the No. 5 starter, and he went 14-11 with a 4.42 ERA. This year he won a spot with the Tigers in the rotation, and will be pitching with his 98 MPH+ fastball and hard-breaking slider. His control has always been an issue, though.
No. 3 Starter: Armando Galarraga
Galarraga is the other former Texas prospect in the AL Central, with John Danks. He had a surprising and great year in '08, going 13-9 with a 3.73 ERA and 126 strikeouts. The 6'4" righty will be counted on to co-anchor the rotation with Verlander for many years.
No. 4 Starter: Jeremy Bonderman
Bonderman seemed to live up to his potential for the first and only time in 2006, going 14-8 with a 4.08 ERA. In '07 he went 11-9 with a 5.01 ERA, and last year he struggled with health issues and went 3-4 with a 4.29 earned run average. There has always been the "he's-still-young" factor with Bonderman, and he still is. He is a mere 26 still, and he still has very good stuff. The righty still has the potential to eventually be an ace, but with every passing year, it seems less and less likely Bonderman will ever figure out how to harness his raw stuff.
No. 5 Starter: Nate Robertson
The 31-year old Robertson lived up to his potential in '06, same as Bonderman, going 13-13 with a 3.84 ERA. Last year he won only 7 games and lost 11 with a sickening 6.35 ERA. He is on the downswing of his career at this point.
Zach Miner may also win the #5 spot, but it's not likely.
The Tigers' rotation still has great potential and talent.
Closer: Brandon Lyon
Lyon was acquired in the offseason to close the hole left by the retirement of Todd Jones. Last year with Arizona, his first year closing, he got 31 save opportunities and converted 26 of them. He had a 4.70 ERA, though, after two stellar years as a setup man.
Other bullpen members will include Fernando Rodney, Bobby Seay, Juan Rincon, and Scott Williamson.
As I said before, the Tigers are still a very very talented fairly young team.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals appear to be poised for a breakout year. Perhaps not Rays-level, but I believe they will be back in contention in 2009.
Catcher: Miguel Olivo
Olivo will never be a great catcher, but he is solid. He's a 15-homer threat and hits anywhere from .230 to .270 each year. While he is not fast, he is a pretty good defensive catcher, and will have about 20 doubles a year.
1st Baseman: Mike Jacobs
Jacobs was acquired in a trade from the Florida Marlins this offseason to provide some pop in the middle of the Royals lineup. That he can provide, after hitting 32 homers last year at age 27. In the two years before that his two homer totals were 20 and 17, respectively. His RBI total will likely be high getting 500 at-bats, a milestone he has yet to surpass. The lefty hitter is a fair defensive first baseman, but was brought to Kansas City for his bat.
2nd Baseman: Alberto Callaspo
Callaspo winning the second-base job is still no sure thing, but according to the Royals' website he is still the frontrunner. The former Diamondback last year hit .305 with 16 RBIs and no homers in 213 at-bats. He's not a fast runner, but it's good enough. He's an above average defender at the middle infield.
3rd Baseman: Alex Gordon
The former phenom has had two unimpressive full seasons. In 2007 he hit .247 with 15 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. Last year his average went up to .260 with 16 jacks and 59 ribbies and 9 stolen bases. He's a good fielder and he still has all the raw talent in the world. He will likely be able to harness it eventually, seeing as he's still 25. The only question is when.
Shortstop: Mike Aviles
5'9" Aviles burst out of seemingly nowhere last year, hitting .325 with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases in 419 at-bats. He's a late bloomer at age 28, and he probably won't get a lot better than this. The sample size is only one year, though, so you never know...
Left Field: David DeJesus
DeJesus looks like the type of player who will hit .300 for you yearly as long as you don't overwork him. In 157 games he hit .260 in 2007, but other than that his average has never gone lower than .286. Last year he established career highs in average (.307), homers (12), RBIs (73), and stolen bases (11). At age 29, he is peaking, so expect similar production this year. He's a good solid defender.
Center Field: Coco Crisp
Crisp was acquired in the offseason from the Red Sox in exchange for Ramon Ramirez. Finally free of the burden of nipping at Jacoby Ellsbury's heels, Crisp will hit leadoff full-time in Kansas City. He should steal 20-30 bases and hit around .270 with up to 10-15 homers this year. He should score a bunch of runs with Aviles, Gordon, Jacobs, and Jose Guillen hitting behind him. He always has a good OBP, something you look for in a leadoff man. He is also a great defender in center field, with tons of range.
Right Field: Jose Guillen
On his third team in three years, the combustible Guillen provided some much-needed pop in the middle of the Royals' lineup, hitting .264 with 20 homers and 97 RBIs. This year, he will team with Jacobs in the middle of the lineup for a formidable 1-2 punch which could become 1-2-3 if Gordon lives up to his loads of potential. He has a very strong arm in right, and is an okay defender.
Designated Hitter: Billy Butler
Butler now has two major league seasons under his belt, and is one of the team's top hitters of the future. He projects to be a .300 hitter with 30-homer potential. He is slow and a defensive burden, so he will likely stay at DH for the majority of his career.
The Royals have a young and talented lineup.
No. 1 Starter: Gil Meche
Meche, in his second year with KC, actually had a winning record, going 14-11 with a 3.98 ERA after a 9-13, 3.67 '07. His stuff is not, and never will be overpowering, but knows how to pitch-most of the time. Last year his strikeout total jumped by 27 in 5 2/3 less innings. He can sometimes be stellar and sometimes mediocre, but he will always put in the effort. He is peaking right about now.
No. 2 Starter: Zack Greinke
Greinke seems to finally be living up to his enormous potential after a 13-10, 3.47 ERA year. He has absolutely electric stuff, and if he can put his minor control struggles behind him, expect many more years of a stellar Greinke.
No. 3 Starter: Kyle Davies
In 2008 Davies had a breakout, going 9-7 with a 4.06 ERA to go with it. The youngrighty probably has a rotation spot going into this new season.
No. 4 Starter: Brian Bannister
After a 9-16 record in 2008, the Royals need Bannister to recapture the magic of '07, when he went 12-9 with a 3.87 ERA. The righty is still fairly young, going into his 4th year of major league service.
No. 5 Starter: Luke Hochevar
Enough can not be said about this 6'5" righty's stuff, which made him the Number 1 Pick by the Royals. Last year was not great for him, as he went 6-12 with a 5.51 ERA. However, he projects to be an ace, and KC hopes he will team with Meche and Greinke for many years at the top of the rotation.
Other pitchers who could win the 3, 4, or 5 spots in the rotation are Horacio Ramirez and Sidney Ponson.
The Royals have a still very young and very talented rotation.
Closer: Joakim Soria
"The Mexicutioner" may be the best closer in the division, despite stiff competition from the White Sox', Indians' and Twins' 9th inning men. Soria, after a rookie season with 17 saves and a 2.48 ERA, made the All-Star team this year and finished with one of the best seasons a closer could have, saving 42 games in 45 attempts with a 1.60 ERA. He's only 24.
Other bullpen members will include Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz, Ron Mahay, and Joel Peralta.
The Royals have incredible potential, and will likely become part of the division's elite within the next 3 years.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins always seem to find a way to compete.
Catcher: Joe Mauer
Probably the best catcher in the league, Mauer has had some back issues of late. He is an amazingly good hitter. When he's fully healthy, you can count of Mauer for a .330+ average and 10 homers with a high RBI total. He's not too speedy, but he does have 30 career steals. He plays outstanding defense and his leadership skills are excellent.
1st Baseman: Justin Morneau
Morneau and Mauer are a nearly unparallelled 1-2 in the middle of the lineup. While Mauer provides an excellent batting average, Morneau provides one anywhere between .270 and .310 and tons of pop. Last year his home run total went down, but his RBI total stayed in its usual area. His homer total, usually hovering around 35, went down to 23, but his RBI number was 129. He's not a fast runner, but he's a pretty good defender and he is very durable, playing all 163 Twins games last year. He's a lefty hitter, same as Mauer, and they bat right in front of righties Joe Crede and Michael Cuddyer in the lineup.
2nd Baseman: Alexi Casilla
The less-hyped second base-playing Alexi (the other one is actually technically Alexei) in the division has made himself a solid producer in last year's 98 games. He hit .281 with 7 homers and 50 RBIs to go with 7 stolen bases. And that was in 385 at-bats, so this year we'll learn what he can really do.
3rd Baseman: Joe Crede
Crede was a late free agent pickup this offseason, who destroyed the potential of a Brian Buscher/Nick Punto/Brendan Harris platoon at 3rd and short. Buscher can not play short, so this move will likely keep him from regular playing time. Crede, after bursting out in 2006 with a .283 average, 30 homers, and 94 RBIs, missed all of 2007 and most of '08 with an injury. When he came back last year, he showed he was a little rusty, with a .248 average, but he still had pop, hitting 17 homers and driving in 55 in 335 at-bats. He's a stellar defender at third.
Shortstop: Nick Punto and/or Brendan Harris
Punto, the scrappy 5'9" infielder, hit .290 and .210 in '06 and '07, respectively, with approximately the same number of at-bats. Last year his playing time went down and he bounced back to hit.284. Looks like this year he goes into the season as the primary shortstop, with Brendan Harris spelling him and playing short and third. The Twins can pretty much expect that if they don't overwork Punto, he will hit in the .280s to .290s with very little power and 15 steals. Harris, acquired with Delmon Young in exchange for Matt Garza, has the fact he can play second, third, and short working for him, and he's developing into a very solid offensive player. Looks like he will be hitting somewhere in the .275 range with moderate power. He showed he had the potential for some pop in '07, hitting 12 homers in 521 at-bats. He's not very fast on the basepaths, but as I said before, he's very versatile in the field.
Left Field: Denard Span
Span burst from nowhere last year into Rookie Of The Year contention, hitting .294 with 6 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 7 triples in 347 at-bats. He showed he had some speed with 18 steals, as well. This year the good fielder comes in likely at left field, but it remains to be seen if he stays there the entire year. A little fun fact about Span: His middle name is Denard. His first name is actually Keiunta.
Center Field: Carlos Gomez
Acquired from the Mets in the Johan Santana trade, Gomez quickly became a sparkplug at the top of the Twins' lineup. He eventually faltered, finishing the season with a .258 average. However, he's been developing patience at the plate and had a solid (for someone who hit .258) OBP of .296. His speed is the main story here, as he swiped 33 bags this year, while showing a bit of potential for pop with 38 extra-base hits. The Twins are also comfortable with having this good fielder patrolling center.
Right Field: Michael Cuddyer
The converted 3rd baseman was recovering from an injury last year when Span burst onto the scene. However, this time the powerful righty hitter is healthy and ready to play, leaving Delmon Young as the likely odd man out in the Twins' outfield. When healthy Cuddyer can hit from .270 to .290 with some good pop, hitting a career high 24 homers in 2006 and 16 in '07 before he was shut down last year with the nagging injury that kept him to 3 homers in 249 at-bats. He's a solid fielder in right, and he definitely has one of the top outfield arms in all of Major League Baseball.
It remains to be seen if Delmon Young can win the left or right-field job, but this seems to be the most viable of the options for Minnesota.
Designated Hitter: Jason Kubel
Kubel has carved himself out a role with the Twins at DH, working hard to become the .270 hitter with 20-homer pop that he is now. The lefty hitter will not see much time in his natural defensive position of the outfield, seeing as the Twins already have 4 viable starters there.
The Twins' offense is again scrappy, speedy, and has just enough pop to compete.
No. 1 Starter: Francisco Liriano
Everyone knows the Francisco Liriano story. In 2006 he took the majors by storm, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 121 innings. In 2007 he missed the entire year due to Tommy John surgery. When he came back last year he went 6-4 with a 3.91 ERA and 67 K's in 76 innings. His velocity was lower, so he's trying to reinvent himself seeing as he no longer has a 98 MPH fastball. He needs to re-harness his filthy curve and filthier slider, but I expect he will and he'll end up being quite a good pitcher for many years.
No. 2 Starter: Scott Baker
Baker could be the Twins' ace this season should Liriano falter at all. Baker, like many other members of the Twins' rotation, does not have overpowering stuff and is still very young. Baker, out of the other three members of the rotation, knows how to pitch best. The 27-year old righty features a repertoire of a moving, low 90s fastball, a good changeup, and a curve and slider, with good control of all of them. Baker will likely form a 1-2 punch with Liriano for some years to come.
No. 3 Starter: Kevin Slowey
This 24-year old Texan control pitcher had a good solid season last year, going 12-11 with a 3.99 ERA in 27 starts, utilizing a low 90s fastball, a changeup, a slow curve, and a tight slider. He has drawn comparison to Brad Radke for both his windup and stuff. He probably won't end up quite as good as Radke, but you never know with a 24-year old who's still learning to pitch.
No. 4 Starter: Glen Perkins
Big Perkins is still shedding excess body fat and now weighs in at 200 pounds. In his first 26 major league starts last year, Perkins went 12-4 with a 4.41 ERA. Like so many other starters, this lefty's stuff is not overpowering, but unlike other members, his fastball can occasionally get to the mid-90s. He has a plus changeup and a hard-breaking and slow-breaking curveball.
No. 5 Starter: Nick Blackburn
The 27-year old 6'4" righty really broke out last year with an 11 and 11 record with a 4.05 ERA. He has five pitches: a two-seam fastball, a four-seamer, a good curveball, a tight slider, and a developing change.
So the Twins' rotation is not overpowering, but all these young guys know how to pitch and make good with what they have.
Closer: Joe Nathan
Joe Nathan is one of the most reliable, if not the most reliable closer in the Major Leagues. The 34-year old righty can be counted on for an under 1.90 ERA and 35 to 40 saves. Every. Single. Year. 'Nuff said.
Other bullpen contributors will include Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Craig Breslow, and Luis Ayala.
The Twins are once again a scrappy team who will figure out a way to compete with the more naturally talented teams in the Central.
So now that you hopefully now this division inside and out, how do you think it will pan out? Give me your prediction for what the standings will be.
Thanks, good night (afternoon).
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He homered and pitched a scoreless inning in the same game. 
