AL Central

Twins
White Sox
Tigers
Royals
Indians

The Twinkies and Sox will battle it out the whole year.  Granted those of us in warmer parts of the country may have but a passing interest. In the end, Minnesota will shock some and impress most by putting together pitching and defense with timely hitting.  They are a model to those teams hoping to keep the payroll down and still win consistently.

The White Sox have depth in the starting rotation.  Buehrle, Peavy, and Floyd will hold down what will be the most consistent aspect of the team.  The White Sox may have to worry about a lineup that can be at best explosive and at worst schizophrenic. 

Looking up and down the lineup card, Ozzie has to scratch his head at the expectations.  You have those past their prime in Konerko and Andruw Jones, those that are waiting to see if they can reach their best in Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, and Gordon Beckham, and those that will either falter or flail at some point in Teahen, Pierre, and Pierzynski.

The Indians, are bad.  You can properly gauge how bad as I have them finishing below the Royals.  The Royals are the perennial nether region of MLB.  Watching a Royals game is a bit like eating a full meal from KFC.  It seems harmless, even appetizing, at first.  By the end, frequent trips to the bathroom are necessary.  And I have the Indians below that.