MLB 2012: An In-Depth Breakdown of the AL Central

How will the AL Central look when the 2012 season is over? Nobody knows for sure, but everyone seems to agree that the Tigers are the clear-cut favorites and that they could win the division in a runaway.

Is that a fair expectation? Here's a deeper look at all five AL Central teams and a projection for how each team will do once the season is over with.

5. Kansas City Royals (74-88)

I feel like the Royals are on the verge of being close to a .500 team, but there is one big thing holding them back: their rotation.

The 2012 Royals will have a very good lineup, but the rotation will prevent them from realistically competing this season.

When looking at the lineup, there really aren't many weaknesses. Second base is the main problem, as I don't see much potential for either Johnny Giavotella or Chris Getz.

Losing Melky Cabrera from center field will also hurt, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lorenzo Cain does an adequate job. Plus, Jason Bourgeois was just acquired in what was a very underrated move.

Having Salvador Perez go down to injury was another blow to this team, as both Brayan Pena and Humberto Quintero will have to fill in for him at catcher until he returns. At this point, June seems to be the absolute earliest for a return date for Perez.

Whether you want to call shortstop a strength or weakness can be debated. Fans have been waiting long enough for Alcides Escobar to break out and become a great player, but it just hasn't happened.

Escobar will be the Opening Day shortstop, as the organization still has plenty of faith in him. However, Yuniesky Betancourt has landed back in Kansas City and, honestly, would be a better option. If Betancourt doesn't start at shortstop, he should at least be the everyday second baseman.

Other than those few areas, this team is loaded with hitters. Getting through Kansas City's meat of the order means getting through guys like Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Jeff Francoeur and Billy Butler, a group that any team would love to have.

I didn't even mention Mike Moustakas, who could have a huge year as a rookie, similar to what Eric Hosmer did last season. In fact, I would go as far as saying that at only 22 years old, Hosmer will be a perennial MVP candidate, beginning in 2012.

Not only does Kansas City have a great lineup, but also a great bullpen. Everett Teaford, Aaron Crow, Greg Holland and Louis Coleman are some of the best relievers in the American League.

However, with the recent news that Joakim Soria will undergo Tommy John Surgery and miss the entire season, closer could be an issue. The Royals do have an intriguing option that they didn't have last year: Jonathan Broxton.

Broxton was brought in this past offseason after an ugly departure from the Dodgers. Even though he has been injured recently, it is impossible to ignore how dominant Broxton was only a few years ago.

If only the Royals had a dependable rotation, they could be a pretty good team. However, it is one of the worst rotations in the game.

The Royals continue to stick with Luke Hochevar at the top of their rotation, but he is just not a good pitcher and may never be. In fact, he could potentially be their worst starter in 2012.

Bruce Chen was actually pretty solid last year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him have another solid year. Felipe Paulino is another guy who was solid at times last year, but he is a back-of-the-rotation starter at best.

Danny Duffy is the real wild card of this group, as it is impossible to predict what he will do at only 23 years old. Luis Mendoza is another guy to keep an eye on, as he is still fighting for a spot in the rotation.

There is no question who the ace of this staff is: newly acquired Jonathan Sanchez. He was brought over from the Giants in the Melky Cabrera trade and instantly became the ace of this staff.

Even with Sanchez, the rest of the rotation is too weak to keep Kansas City competitive in the Central. This team is only a few pitchers away from being a .500 or better club, though.

I do have this team finishing in last place in the division, but there are plenty of other teams in the American League that are much worse than the Royals are. I had a hard time placing them fifth in the division, as a fourth- or even third-place finish isn't out of the question.

4. Minnesota Twins (75-87)

I think the Twins are too good an organization to have back-to-back awful seasons. With that being said, I think this team will improve upon last year's record, but still won't be a very good ballclub.

In fact, I think a projection of 75 wins might be a bit generous. The only reason I didn't have them finishing in last place is because Ron Gardenhire's teams always seem to surprise us when we least expect it.

Where is this team going to find any offense, though? Both Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau just aren't the players they used to be, and with the injuries both have had recently, how much can we really expect from them?

Even if those two do produce, there just isn't much help around them. Gone are longtime Twins Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel, two guys who had been cogs in that Minnesota lineup for years.

However, two big bats were brought in this past offseason in Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit. Willingham will fit nicely into the heart of the order, as he is a 25-to-30 homer guy, and the signing of Doumit was a very underrated move.

Doumit is a guy who has consistently been a good hitter, hitting over .300 last year, and will fit nicely into this lineup. He can play catcher, which will help tremendously, as Mauer will see plenty of days off.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Doumit is one of the most important pieces of this offense.

Jamey Carroll was also brought in to be the everyday shortstop, as Tsuyoshi Nishioka has been a complete disaster so far in Minnesota. Will Carroll be able to handle being an everyday player, though?

Denard Span will also return from injury, but even he wasn't hitting last year before he got hurt. Ben Revere is another guy who will be interesting to watch in the outfield to see if he can handle being an everyday outfielder.

A big wild card in this offense is Danny Valencia. This guy is capable of hitting for both power and average but wasn't able to put the two together last year en route to a very disappointing season.

A lack of power looks to be this offense's biggest problem. Also, too many questions and concerns surround key players like Mauer, Morneau and Valencia for this to be a very good offense.

Not only is the batting order weak, but the rotation looks to be somewhat weak as well.

I think Scott Baker is clearly the best pitcher on the staff, but none of the guys behind him are reliable. Carl Pavano had been solid, until a down year raised some concerns last season.

Francisco Liriano can't really be counted on, as he has been both injury prone and ineffective over the last few years. However, he does have the ability to be dominant if he can put it all together.

Nick Blackburn has been extremely inconsistent throughout his young career, so who knows what they'll get out of him in 2012.

Jason Marquis was signed in the offseason, but I don't think it was a very good move. In fact, I'd be surprised if he lasted the whole season in the rotation.

The Twins do have a few other starting options they could turn to. Brian Duensing has been absolutely great in the past as a starter, but his awful performance last year has landed him in the bullpen.

Both Scott Diamond and Liam Hendriks will be starting candidates but may begin the season in the minors.

Glen Perkins is also a starting candidate, but he was Minnesota's best pitcher out of the bullpen last year and looks to be again this year. Where would he be more valuable, though? As a very solid starter or as a dominant reliever? The Twins seem intent on keeping him in the bullpen.

The rest of the bullpen looks pretty weak, especially when Alex Burnett is one of the most used pitchers, even though he had an ERA of 5.51 last year.

Losing Joe Nathan hurts somewhat, but he just simply wasn't the same pitcher last year he used to be. Having Matt Capps as the permanent closer isn't necessarily a great thing, but it's definitely not a bad thing, either.

As a whole, I think this team will be pretty bad. I would have had no problem projecting it to finish in last place, but again, I think Ron Gardenhire is too good a manager to let that happen for a second straight year.

The AL Central better enjoy the Twins being down while it can, because that won't last for long.

3. Chicago White Sox (79-83)

I think that the White Sox are the hardest team to judge in the AL Central. The main reason is because it is impossible to predict how Robin Ventura will do in his first season as a Major League manager.

Ventura will take over for the departed Ozzie Guillen, who has since moved on to manage the Miami Marlins. I cannot decide if losing Guillen is a good or bad thing for the White Sox organization.

Either way, Ventura will have plenty of offensive talent to work with. The problem is that a majority of the offense underachieved mightily last season, making it hard to predict how it will perform in 2012.

Ventura does have one surefire star to work with, though: Paul Konerko. This guy puts up ridiculous numbers every single year and has quietly become one of the best hitters in the game.

A.J. Pierzynski is another guy who will at least hit for average, so he can certainly be counted on. Alexei Ramirez has always performed consistently and has turned into one of the better young shortstops around.

Other than those three players, though, nobody else can really be counted on. With the departure of Carlos Quentin, Dayan Viciedo will be a full-time starter for the first time in right field, and even though he has tons of potential it is impossible to tell what can be expected of him.

The same can be said for Alejandro De Aza, who is taking over for the departed Juan Pierre in left field. De Aza brought a spark to the team late last year, but can he hold up for an entire season?

The White Sox continue to stick with Brent Morel at third base, even though he has proven time and time again that he is simply not good enough to be an everyday Major League third baseman.

Kosuke Fukudome was brought in this past offseason, but it looks like he will be used as a backup. Fukudome and the versatile Brent Lillibridge will actually provide two solid options off the bench.

However, there is no question who the three biggest underachievers from last year were: Alex Rios, Adam Dunn and Gordon Beckham.

Rios had a great year in 2010 but \regressed mightily in 2011, only hitting .227.

Dunn was a guy who was hitting right around 40 home runs a year when he was brought in before 2011 but could not have been a bigger bust. Dunn unbelievably hit .159 with only 11 homers and eventually lost his starting job.

Fans have been waiting for years for Gordon Beckham to live up to his potential, but he took a big step backward last year. He hit .230 with only 10 home runs. Beckham will be the second baseman this year, but time is definitely running out for him.

This offense really depends on those three guys. If they have big years, this could be a pretty good offense. If they don't, it will be extremely hard for this team to score runs.

The starting rotation is similar to the offense, as it has tons of potential but is hampered with questions and concerns.

John Danks has been a solid, consistent starter, but he did have a down year last season. However, I expect him to bounce back and be fine in 2012.

Gavin Floyd hasn't been as consistent as Danks but has still been a quality starter for the Sox over the years. I expect him to pitch like he usually does and finish with an ERA right around 4.00.

Beyond Danks and Floyd, the questions really start to arise. Phil Humber was great last year, but can he really sustain any kind of success for the first time in his career?

Young phenom Chris Sale will be moved from the bullpen to the rotation, but how will he respond? This kid has electric stuff and has the ability to be a dominant starter. He is still extremely young, though, and just may not be suited as a starter.

And then there is Jake Peavy, the key and most important piece to this rotation. He just hasn't really ever been effective in Chicago, as injuries have slowed him down mightily.

He has shown flashes of being the pitcher he used to be, though, and it would be a scary thing for the American League if he can stay healthy and start pitching the way he used to.

If these five guys can put it together, this will be a great rotation. However, I think Sale will be inconsistent as a starter, and I don't think Peavy can stay healthy for an entire season.

With that being said, I think this is an average, middle-of-the-pack rotation.

If there is one thing that is above average on this team, it's the bullpen. Young guys like Dylan Axelrod, Zach Stewart and Addison Reed will be key pieces, and I think they will be effective.

Will Ohman was very inconsistent last year, but he is a veteran pitcher and should have a better year in 2012.

Sergio Santos was traded to the Blue Jays, and it will likely be Matt Thornton taking over the closer role. There are some concerns there, but he can't possibly be any worse than he was at the beginning of last year.

The best and arguably most important pitcher in the bullpen is Jesse Crain. He was dominant last season, and there's no reason to think he won't be again this year. Plus, he still has a shot at the closer role, as Thornton certainly hasn't locked the job up.

This White Sox team has the ability to be very good and finish well over .500. At the same time, I could see it finishing well below. I just don't know how the team will respond to Ventura.

As a whole, I think this team will be very average and finish just under .500 at 79-83.

2. Cleveland Indians (84-78)

I stated that the White Sox are the toughest team to judge in the AL Central, but this Cleveland Indians team is a close second.

I'm cautiously predicting 84 wins and a second-place finish, but that might be a bit generous.

I just can't help but feel that this will be a solid lineup, even without Grady Sizemore in it.

Young Carlos Santana will once again be the catcher, and he's a guy who quietly hit 27 home runs last season.

Is Matt LaPorta ever going to become a great first baseman? This kid was supposed to be an absolute stud, but the organization showed that it is sick of waiting, as it went out and signed Casey Kotchman to play first base.

This was one of the most underrated signings of the offseason, as Kotchman hit well over .300 for almost the entirety of last year. He will be very dangerous in the middle of that Cleveland lineup.

I think Jason Kipnis is going to absolutely explode at second base and have a monster year. The Indians have another big-time prospect in Lonnie Chisenhall, but I think Kipnis has the higher upside.

Asdrubal Cabrera will obviously play shortstop, rounding out what looks to be a solid infield.

The outfield also looks like a solid group. Shin-Soo Choo is too good a hitter to have another down year, so I'd be very surprised if he didn't bounce back.

Michael Brantley and Shelley Duncan will likely be the other two outfield starters, and they should do just fine.

If Duncan does struggle, though, Fred Lewis, Ryan Spilborghs and Aaron Cunningham are the next most likely options.

We all know that Travis Hafner will be the DH, but how many years does he have left in him?

While the lineup looks to be solid, the same can't be said for the starting rotation. There are simply way too many questions and concerns surrounding this unit.

Justin Masterson is about the only sure thing, as you just don't know what you're going to get out of Ubaldo Jimenez, Derek Lowe or Kevin Slowey.

Injuries have derailed Slowey the past few years, and I think it's about time for Lowe to call it a career. Jimenez, on the other hand, is definitely the key to this rotation.

He was arguably the best pitcher in the game a few years ago but has since become very inconsistent and unreliable.

Other starting options include Jeanmar Gomez and David Huff. Gomez especially would be a very good option, as he has shown flashes of brilliance in the past.

Nobody seems to know what the deal is with "Fausto Carmona" (aka Roberto Hernandez), as he is currently having trouble re-entering the US.

While the rotation looks to be questionable, the opposite can be said about the bullpen. This 'pen looks dominant and is definitely the strength of this team.

Chris Perez may miss the start of the season, but I don't think that will be much of an issue, as Vinnie Pestano is more than capable of filling in.

Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp and Joe Smith were all dominant relievers last year and figure to be again this year.

Plus, the additions of Dan Wheeler and Robinson Tejada should be a plus.

The starting rotation appears to be the key to this Indians team and could decide whether they have a winning season.

I think this will be the second-best team in the AL Central; with that being said, I don't see it finishing far over .500.

1. Detroit Tigers (95-67)

I think the Tigers are clearly the best team in the AL Central, and it's not even close. Honestly, by the time September rolls around, it shouldn't even be a race anymore.

This team does have plenty of flaws, though. The lineup looks great 1-7, but the 8 and 9 spots look to be big concerns. Whoever wins the second-base job will likely be batting in one of those spots, along with whoever the left fielder is.

As for the rest of the lineup, Austin Jackson is a huge key at the leadoff spot, as he simply needs to have a much better year than he did last season.

I think Brennan Boesch is very intriguing in the No. 2 spot, as he can hit for  power and average. Having Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder hit back to back is probably the best duo in the game.

I do think that Jhonny Peralta and Alex Avila will take a step back from last year, but that might not be saying much, as they both had career years last season.

It will also be interesting to see how Delmon Young does in his first full season in Detroit, and if he can regain his power stroke, as he only hit 12 home runs last season.

The Tigers' front end of the rotation looks dominant, as Justin Verlander and Doug Fister provide one of the best one-two punches in the game. However, the back end has some questions.

I'm not too worried about Max Scherzer, but it is a bit concerning that he still hasn't put it all together and had a dominant year. His ERA last year was 4.43, about a run higher than it should be. He just simply needs to become more consistent.

I'm even more worried about Rick Porcello, who had an inexcusable ERA of 4.75 last year. He has been way too inconsistent over the past two years to be heavily relied upon.

The No. 5 spot in the rotation is still wide open. Casey Crosby, Duane Below and Andy Oliver seem to be the most likely candidates. Whoever wins it obviously doesn't need to be great, just adequate.

The bullpen looks to be the biggest area of concern on this team.

The closer spot should be fine with Jose Valverde, although I do think he'll blow a handful of saves this year, unlike last season.

Joaquin Benoit should also be fine in the setup role, as he really came around late last season and looked like the pitcher he used to be during his time in Tampa Bay.

However, what about the other relievers? I don't think Phil Coke, Daniel Schlereth, or the newly acquired Collin Balester can be too heavily relied upon, leaving not much room for error.

Losing Al Alburquerque really hurts, as he was simply dominant last year and may not return at all in 2012.

However, there is one other intriguing reliever the Tigers have: Octavio Dotel. He was signed in the offseason to be a key part in this bullpen, and it will be very interesting to see how he does.

He was very shaky in the first half of last season with Toronto but was traded at midseason to the Cardinals. Dotel was absolutely magnificent for the Cardinals and was a huge key to their World Series title.

Now 38 years old, though, it will be interesting to see how much he has left.

Overall, I think this is a very good Tigers team. However, I don't think I'd call it the class of the American League. In fact, I think you could make the case that the Yankees, Angels and Rangers are all better than they are.

With that being said, their division is so weak that they should definitely win it easily, and bring back-to-back division titles to Detroit for the first time since 1934-35.