MLB AL Central Report Card 2022
The American League Central could have been anybody’s season in late August, but the Cleveland Guardians ran away with it and took the lead to the postseason.
How did the five teams match up against each other?
Cleveland Guardians (92-70): B
Out of the five teams, the Guardians were the ones with the most success. They won the division and made it to the American League Division Series, where they lost to the New York Yankees.
They’re also the only team in the division to finish with a winning record.
Shane Bieber continued his dominance as the team’s ace, somehow falling short of Cy Young nomination.
Andres Gimenez, Josh Naylor and Amed Rosario led a young and spirited lineup throughout the season.
Additionally, outfielder Steven Kwan was named a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year in contention with Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez and Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman.
The Guardians receive a “B” in comparison to the rest of the league, but they fell short in the postseason. Even though they had a good battle with the Yankees with the pitching staff, the bats got put to sleep by Gerrit Cole and the crew.
Chicago White Sox (81-81): C
The White Sox were the closest team to the Guardians and the one team to hit .500.
Like the Guardians, the White Sox also had a player named for an award. Dylan Cease, the team’s ace, was nominated for AL Cy Young along with Astros’ Justin Verlander and Blue Jays’ Alex Manoah.
The White Sox had the chance to catch up to and take the lead from the Guardians, but they lost momentum in late September when they met their division rivals. They lost eight out of nine consecutive games to the Guardians, Tigers and Twins, respectively, and couldn’t get themselves out of a rut.
The White Sox earn a “C” for being perfectly average.
Minnesota Twins (78-84): D
The Minnesota Twins didn’t have a relatively terrible season, but they underperformed based on the talent they have on the roster.
They were in the race, along with Chicago, to take the lead from Cleveland after the All-Star break, but fell behind.
The Twins took a hit with Bryan Buxton’s hip injury, which had their star player out from August until October. After Buxton went on the injured list, they never found their ground again.
Shortstop Carlos Correa led the team in batting average, but the Twins will have to shop around this offseason after Correa exercised the opt-out clause on his contract.
The Twins earn a “D” for falling apart and not working with potential.
Detroit Tigers (66-96): D+
The Tigers finished fourth in the division with a 66-96 record.
First baseman Miguel Cabrera had a monumental season, recording his 3000th hit and improving his career batting average to over .300.
Rookie outfielder Riley Greene emerged as an influential player for Detroit. Without Cabrera and Greene, Detroit would be receiving a lower grade. They, too, were average.
The Tigers played well against everyone else in the division, but ran into trouble when facing the Guardians.
They earn a “D+” for Cabrera’s milestone, but not for much else.
Kansas City Royals (65-97): D-
The Royals had the worst record of the division, recording 33 more losses than wins.
There were no real standout performances from anyone on the roster, as the team has been in a rebuild since 2016, but a promising performance from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. revitalized hope in the team for future.
The team took a hit after outfielder Andrew Benintendi, the lone All Star, was traded to the Yankees after the break. Benintendi hit .320 in Kansas City with 111 hits and 39 RBI.
The Royals earn a “D-“ because of a dead-last finish, but redeem themselves from an “F” because of a promising future and hope of a rebuild in the offseason.
Adrianna Gallucci is a first-year majoring in journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.
