AL Central: 1st Half In Review

Jun 3, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (49) reacts during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Tomorrow starts the 2nd half of the 2015 Major League Baseball season and the first half is something that 60% of the teams in the American League Central want to forget.

We’ll take a look at what went right, what went wrong, and what to expect in the 2nd half from each of the 5 teams starting in order of where they are currently positioned in the standings.

Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; American League outfielder Lorenzo Cain (6) of the Kansas City Royals hits an RBI double against the National League during the fifth inning of the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Royals

52-34(1st in the division, 1st in the AL)

What went right?

• The bullpen is as good as it was last year.  Wade Davis carries a 0.46 ERA into the 2nd half.
• Kendrys Morales sports a .281 average with some solid pop.
• Mike Moustakas has shed the bust label partially with a career year in batting average.
• Lorenzo Cain has been in beast mode all season,  He’s set a career high in home runs and is on pace for highs in stolen bases and runs batted in.

What’s gone wrong

• Losing Alex Gordon to an injury could hamper the team out of the gates.
• The supposed ace Yordano Ventura has really struggled with both pitching and maintaining his cool.
• The starting rotation has struggled to put up quality starts and rank 29th in MLB.

What should we expect in the 2nd half

The Royals have a 4.5 game lead over the surprising Minnesota Twins.  I’ve been amazed as to how well they’ve played even without an ace on the staff.  They will be buyers at the trade deadline but I can’t see them making a big splash as they operate on a smaller budget than most of the contenders.  They won’t breeze through the second half but they will be playoff bound come October.

Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; American League second baseman Brian Dozier (2) of the Minnesota Twins hits a solo home run against the National League during the eighth inning of the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota Twins

49-40(4.5 games behind, Wild Card leader)

What went right?

• A team that was destined for the cellar of the AL Central and maybe the worse record in all of baseball has been the surprise of all of baseball.
• MVP candidate, Brian Dozier, is leading the way and looks to surpass his home run totals from last year.

• nce a touted prospect, Kyle Gibson has finally started to get acclimated to the bigs and looks like he could be the cornerstone of the starting rotation.
• Paul Molitor is a rookie manager but Hall of Fame player and while Ron Gardenhire is a good manager the team really seems to have flourished under the tutelage of Molitor.

What’s gone wrong?

• Losing top prospect Byron Buxton to injury shortly after his promotion hurts.
• Former league MVP Joe Mauer is on the downward trajectory of his career and his move to first base hasn’t been as smooth as he and the team had hoped.

What should we expect in the 2nd half?

The Twins, like the Astros, are the surprise of the AL.  They had a great first half but I can’t see this team keeping it up let alone winning the division. The lack of a true ace will bite them especially since they don’t have the bullpen that Kansas City has.  They may make a small move at the deadline but I can’t see them doing anything big.  This team will continue to build its farm system and maybe next year be able to stick around for the whole season.

Jun 30, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) breaks his bat grounding out in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Tigers

44-44(9 GB and 3.5 games out of the W.C.)

What went right?

• J.D. Martinez.  Discarded by the Astros like a piece of garbage Martinez is just mashing.
• All-Star Jose Iglesias has not only impressed with the glove but the bat has been an added bonus.
• Free agent to be David Price has been stellar if not downright filthy in the majority of his starts. He’s bound to get a huge pay day.

What’s gone wrong?

• An atrocious bullpen has been the Achilles heel of this team all season long.
• No dependable #2 behind Price. Justin Verlander was great for 3 years at best folks, his time is up. Blame Kate Upton.
• Injuries.  Miguel Cabrera has landed on the DL for the first time in his career.  Victor Martinez didn’t start the season healthy and it cost him some time as well.

• Former top prospect Nick Castellanos has been a disappointment. People saw him as a future batting champ and now he’s fighting just to stay on the field.

What should we expect in the 2nd half?

The Tigers could easily be the most disappointed team this season so far in terms of what was expected.  This is a team in flux.  They could be a buyer as well as a seller.  Their opportunity to win may have passed them by and it may be time to blow it all up and get some prospects in the farm system that lacks top end talent.  However, Dave Dombrowski has been known to pull off some interesting moves before but his assets are limited.  I would not be shocked if this team makes a managerial move if they keep falling in the standings.  Ron Gardenhire anyone?

Jul 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; American League second baseman Jason Kipnis (22) of the Cleveland Indians tosses the ball to first base against the National League during the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Indians

42-46(11 GB and 5.5 out of the WC)

What went right?

• Jason Kipnis. He’s it.  The lone bright spot on a team filled with expectations.

What’s gone wrong?

• The offense.  You can’t win games if you can’t score any runs.
• Where has Carlos Santana gone?
• Cody Allen.  This just isn’t your year.
• MVP candidate Michael Brantley is having a solid year but hasn’t lived up to the hype generated off his 2014 campaign.
• Inconsistent starting pitching.  Reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber gets no run support but that can’t excuse his less than stellar year.  The rest of the pitching has had yo-yo like seasons.

What should we expect in the 2nd half?

The Indians were my pick as well as many others to win the division.  They stumbled out of the gates and haven’t recovered.  Yet I still feel they are best suited to make a run at the Royals.  They boast top of the line starting pitching but they’ll need those guys to pitch to their talent levels.  I can’t see them going out and getting a major piece but they need some offense. So look for them to improve that whether it’s a utility bat or an outfielder.