The Minnesota Twins have dominated the American League Central Division in recent years, but fell back slightly in 2005 to just 83 wins after posting 90-plus wins in each of their previous 3 seasons. With the AL Central continuing to improve, pushing the AL East into the best division in baseball, the Minnesota Twins will have their work cut out for them again this year.
Keep in mind that the Twins went 16-21 against the world champion White Sox and the emerging Cleveland Indians last season. They’ll have to do a better job against the division’s best teams if they want to return to their dominance of the AL Central. One sign of a good team is beating the teams you’re supposed to beat. The Twins were very successful against the rest of their division foes, the Tigers and Royals, winning 24 of 38 games. You can expect this intra-division dominance to continue, especially at home, as Minnesota is a remarkable 108-49 home favorite within its division the last 5 seasons. You can also look forward to another great season from ace Johan Santana. When he’s on the hill, the Twins are a safe bet.
It doesn’t look like Minnesota can get back out of the rut in the division as Cleveland continues to improve and could emerge as the division favorite, though I think the White Sox pitching staff is keeping them on top. No one thought the White Sox had a chance in 2005, and most, including me, are writing the Twins off in 2006, but their ability to play small ball and their stellar defensive play keeps them going in every game. If they can beat their close quarters, the Twins could be the surprise in the AL Central this season.