Bobby Witt Jr. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
One of the more shocking aspects of this season’s MLB playoffs is the fact that three teams from the AL Central are still involved. And a fourth, the Minnesota Twins finished over .500 at 82-80. Of course, teams in the AL Central were bolstered by having those saddest of sacks, the Chicago White Sox in their division. Still, there was some definite improvement in the division. Here’s a quick look at the three AL Central teams in the playoffs.
Cleveland Guardians had a solid foundation
The Guardians had some pieces in place going into the season. Third baseman, Jose Ramierz, has quietly become one of the most consistently great players in baseball. His 39 home runs were a career high. His 6.8 WAR was pretty much par for the course during his career. First baseman, Josh Naylor, also contributed a career high 31 home runs.
Left fielder, Steven Kwan, has been a good player for years, but in 2024 he added a little power to his game, hitting 14 home runs. Like Naylor and Ramierz, Kwan’s home run total was a career high. The starting pitching staff is pretty much nondescript, but closer, Emmanuel Clase, is a legitimate beast.
The Royals formula: One superstar and two great free agent signings
Royals’ shortstop, Bobby Witt Jr. has blossomed into a full-blown superstar. Witt put up a WAR of 9.2. That numbered was powered by 32 home runs and 31 stolen bases. Catcher Salvador Perez also had an excellent season. pounding 27 homers while driving in 104 runs. Those two were the big offensive forces for the Royals.
The Royals’ starting rotation was supplemented by the signing of two seemingly unspectacular starting pictures, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Lugo went 16-9 with an ERA of 3.00. Wacha went 13-8 and had an ERA of 3.35.
Prior to 2024, Lugo’s highest win total was eight. Lugo was a bargain for $15 million. Wacha had experienced more success in his past, but he was also a bargain, costing the Royals $16 million in 2024.
The Royals went 56-106 in 2023, so their 2024 season is stunning. Maybe there is hope for the White Sox. Oh yeah, Jerry Reinsdorf owns them. Never mind.
The Tigers rode Tarik Skubal to the playoffs
Looking at the Tigers’ numbers, nothing really jumps out about how they got into the playoffs, beyond the success of Tarik Skubal. Skubal went 18-4 with an ERA of 2.39. No other Tigers’ starter won more than seven games.
There aren’t a lot of great numbers for the Tigers’ hitters, either. Left fielder Riley Greene had a nice season, hitting 24 home runs with 74 RBIs. Nobody else on the team came close to those numbers. A. J. Hinch must be a really good manager.
So, if you have no natural fan affiliation left in the MLB playoffs, why not consider rooting for an AL Central team? It’s been a really long time since the Guardians and Tigers won a championship. While it hasn’t been that long for the Royals, going from losing 106 games to winning a world series would be a great story.
