Ranking AL Central Division Starting Rotations

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In 2014, the AL Central Division surprised many fans and baseball experts with its depth and competitiveness.

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The Kansas City Royals and their pitching staff were amongst the biggest surprises. Cleveland’s Corey Kluber also produced a dominating season winning the 2014 American League Cy Young award for his performance.

In 2014 the Central Division housed some of the biggest brand names of baseball’s premier pitchers – Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Kluber, Chris Sale and James Shields. Some of these pictures cashed in their performance and moved on. Teams were forced to make some major changes in their lineups and 2015 is gearing up again to make for a strong Central Division showing featuring great rotations.

Let’s take a look at the starting rotations and rank them preseason for the show that begins in April:

5. Minnesota Twins: Grade C-

1. Phil Hughes RHP

2. Ervin Santana RHP

3. Ricky Nolasco RHP

4. Kyle Gibson RHP

5. Tommy Milone LHP

With the addition of Ervin Santana from the Atlanta Braves, the Twins’ rotation is only two deep at this point. Phil Hughes had a solid year in 2014 with a 3.52 ERA, but hard to say he’s an ace to build your rotation around. Hughes made himself at home at Target Field and will continue to be a steady arm for the Twins. The 32-year-old Ervin Santana is a nice addition to the Twins after having a solid year in Atlanta. Santana also shouldn’t struggle with the transition back to the American League, spending the majority of his career in the league. After these two the triumvirate of Nolasco, Gibson and Milone provide little depth. Nolasco was awful in 2014 and needs a bounce back year, the walk happy Gibson needs to work on some form and delivery, and Milone is the only southpaw coming off an injury in 2014. The rotation will be one of the Twins’ major weaknesses this year.

4. Kansas City Royals: Grade B

1. Yordano Ventura RHP

2. Jason Vargas LHP

3. Edinson Volquez RHP

4. Jeremy Guthrie RHP

5. Danny Duffy LHP

The departure of James Shields from this rotation is a huge loss to the defending American League champions. They picked up Edinson Volquez and Kris Medlen from the National League. But Volquez is no shields and Medlen did not pitch in 2014 and is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery. Someone will need to pick up the slack from Shields. This lineup has some solid pitchers in Ventura, Vargas, Guthrie. Duffy and can get the job done with innings and strike outs. The Royals’ rotation just lacks the oomph that the 2014 team had and has some holes that their Central Division foes will poke out with their upgraded lineups.

3. Cleveland Indians: Grade: B

1. Corey Kluber RHP

2. Carlos Carrasco RHP

3. Trevor Bauer RHP

4. T. J. House LHP

5. Danny Salazar RHP

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Corey Kluber will continue to dominant in his role as the Indians ace and the Tribe fans will clamor for him to be signed to a JV or Scherzer type long-term contract. The lineup lacks a dominant left-hander but has strong 2-4 spots. Carrasco had a solid 2014 with a 2.55 ERA but will need to step up the innings he gave the Indians. Bauer and Salazar bring some youth and will pick up innings but will need consistently stronger years than they had last year. Expect T.J. House to follow-up his strong rookie year with another solid year but they will watch his innings carefully which will pave the way for additions like Gavin Floyd. No if’s and’s and but’s about this, the Indians fate is determined by someone adding strength to Kluber who anchors this rotation.

2. Chicago White Sox: Grade A-

1. Chris Sale LHP

2. Jeff Samardzija RHP

3. Jose Quintana LHP

4. Hector Noesi RHP

5. John Danks LHP

Chris Sale is, in my opinion, the most dominant and underrated pitcher in all of baseball. The White Sox have not made the mistake of trading Sale away and instead building their rotation around him. Sale’s foot injury, though, is the biggest asterisk in this rotation. He needs to return to form quickly for the White Sox to contend and this rotation to be the best in the Central Division. I initially had them ranked as the best, but the injury is a big setback missing key prep time in spring training.

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The White Sox probably have the deepest 1-3 rotation in the division (and the maybe even in the AL) with a healthy Sale. Samardzija is a great addition to this lineup and has already made a nice start to a successful transition to the junior circuit with the Oakland A’s last year. Jose Quintana is a beast in this rotation and picks up a lot of innings, strikeouts and provides a left-handed presence. Noesi and Danks need to be more consistent and provide some solid innings to eat for the rotation.

Look for the White Sox to fill Sale’s void with Erik Johnson, Brad Penny and early on the youngster Carlos Rondon to make a splash.

1. Detroit Tigers: Grade B+

1. David Price LHP

2. Justin Verlander RHP

3. Aníbal Sánchez RHP

4. Shane Greene RHP

5. Alfredo Simon RHP

I get really excited when I see the first three names on this rotation and that excitement fades when I realize that Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello are no longer here to “round off” the five. However, they still have the deepest and most experienced rotation with two Cy Young winners taking the mound.

With the most expensive rotation in the division, the Tigers have the biggest holes to fill. David Price will have a great contract year and is likely to compete for the Cy Young award this year. Anibal Sanchez will need to stay healthy, something he has struggled to do his entire career, as he no longer has the depth in the rotation to back him up.

I agree with the many who are anticipating JV to have a great bounce back year after last year. Greene will fill Porcello’s absence nicely especially in the confines of Comerica Park. And Simon will need to replicate and sustain the magic that he had in the first half of last year with the Cincinnati Reds while transitioning to the American League

The Central Division has four great starting rotations that will provide for some great baseball this year. The Royals and the White Sox have the most potential to out perform and the Tigers have the greatest risk of under performing. Whatever two teams figure it out will be still dancing in October.

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