One of the most shocking things in the 2024 MLB season is the resurgence of the American League Central. This division has been the laughingstock of baseball the last few seasons. That has not been the case at all so far this season.
The 1st place Cleveland Guardians under new manager Stephen Vogt have the 2nd best record in the whole American League at 40-20. The 2nd place Kansas City Royals are surprisingly off to a 36-26. Then there are the 3rd place Minnesota Twins with a record of 33-28.
If the season ended today, the American League Central would have all 3 of these teams in the playoffs. We’ll see if these clubs can keep their impressive seasons going. Nonetheless, it’s a dramatic improvement for a division that has consistently failed to provide multiple playoff teams.
Cleveland Guardians Leading American League Central
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The Cleveland Guardians had a very underwhelming 2023 season. The Guardians finished 76-86 and missed the playoffs. This resulted in a manager change. Enter first-year manager Stephen Vogt.
Vogt has installed new life in Cleveland baseball. Behind veteran slugger Jose Ramirez, 2nd baseman Andres Giminez, outfielder Steven Kwan, and the power-hitting Josh Naylor, this Guardians lineup has been lethal. Pair this with an improved pitching staff and you have a team atop the division with a record of 40-20.
Kansas City Royals Vast Improvement
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The 2023 Kansas City Royals finished the season 56-106; the 2nd worst record across all MLB. Expectations were very low heading into this season. The Royals as of now are 36-26, and the 2nd wild card in the American League.
The biggest reason for this turnaround has to be Bobby Witt Jr. The 23-year-old Witt is one of the frontrunners for AL MVP, hitting .319 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Minnesota Twins Remain Steady
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The Minnesota Twins are the defending American League Central champions. They haven’t been lighting the baseball world on fire so far this season, but have been solid. The Twins are 33-28, which has been good enough for them to hold on to the 3rd wild card in the American League.
The Twins bats haven’t been great this year. If you look at Minnesota’s lineup, it wouldn’t appear as if this team is currently in the final AL playoff spot. They have used timely hitting and good pitching performances from guys like Joe Ryan and Simeon Woods Richardson.
Also Read: New York Yankees Starting Pitcher Spectacular Over Last 6 Starts
Multiple AL Central Playoff Teams?
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The AL Central has consistently been producing one playoff team that is always in the low 90’s or 80’s in wins. Furthermore, the division has only had 3 wild card teams in the last 10 seasons. 2 of these teams were in the 2020 COVID-19 shortened season, where the playoffs were expanded from 10 to 16 teams for a season.
What makes this even worse is that the teams the division does send to the playoffs have not performed well at all. There has not been an American League Central team in the American League Championship Series since the 2016 season. This was the year when the then-named “Cleveland Indians” beat the Toronto Blue Jays to go to the World Series. Cleveland lost that World Series to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.
The AL Central has a golden opportunity this year to get multiple playoff teams and have more success in October.
About the Author
Cory is an Oregon Duck alumni from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been playing, watching, and following basketball + baseball his whole life. Follow Cory on X @cory_pappas1 for more breaking stories and game previews.
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