White Sox vs AL Central: Who will win the division in 2021?

The AL Central Division is very top-heavy. It has two teams that should be really good in the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins. Then, there are the Cleveland Indians who are a big question mark. The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals are both pretty early in the rebuilding stage so it will be interesting to see which of the top teams takes advantage of that the most. It is certainly going to be a fun division to watch all season long.

The White Sox have so much talent. Their rotation is as good as it has been in a very long time and an outstanding bullpen is going to back it up. Their offense is as good as any in the league as they pretty much have a stud hitter at every position. When we talk about the real World Series contenders in the American League, we are talking about the White Sox.

Are the Chicago White Sox the favorites to win the division?

The Minnesota Twins are right there in the race. As weird as it sounds, it feels like they could challenge for the division but not for the World Series. The White Sox have more high-end skills than the Twins but they still need to prove that they can go out there and take care of their business.

As for the Cleveland Indians, they are a good team that has taken a hit over the years. They traded Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets to shed a whole bunch of money. That is a superstar shortstop and a very good pitcher out the door. They are a pitching factory so you know that part will be tough and they also have Jose Ramirez who is a superstar. They should be a good team but they have some work to do in order to be as good as the White Sox and Twins.

The Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers are both rebuilding. The White Sox, Twins, and Indians should beat up on them all season long. The Royals are a little bit farther along in terms of their MLB product but the Tigers have some outstanding prospects in the pool. It is only going to get better for them when they make another really high draft selection this year and next.

Pre-exhibition standings prediction:

1. Chicago White Sox

2. Minnesota Twins

3. Cleveland Indians

4. Kansas City Royals

5. Detroit Tigers

This has to be the year that the White Sox take home the division title. They fell just short in 2020 despite having an outstanding season and return to the playoffs. This is going to be the year that their young stars take yet another step and get this team to where they need to go. The Minnesota Twins are going to be great again and need to be played hard but the White Sox should be able to overcome it.

The Cleveland Indians are a good bet for third because of their pitching. As for the two rebuilding teams, the Royals are a little bit better right now and they have made some interesting moves this offseason. The Tigers will come in last but they might be the team the White Sox should fear the most in the long term. Hopefully, this is the way it shakes out and the White Sox are a powerhouse.