Call to the pen
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MLB in the Midwest: A Christmas wish list for the AL Central

By Kristen Bentley

The Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez celebrates his walk off grand slam for an 8-4 win against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)
The Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez celebrates his walk off grand slam for an 8-4 win against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 09: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians calms down Trevor Bauer #47 on the mound against the New York Yankees during the second inning in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 09: Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians calms down Trevor Bauer #47 on the mound against the New York Yankees during the second inning in Game Four of the American League Divisional Series at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

As the holiday season is heating up and Christmas is closing in, the Hot Stove season in the AL Central is far from finished.

After one of the most disappointing seasons in the history of the MLB, the AL Central is due for a comeback.

Fans of the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Minnesota Twins are hoping for a better outcome in 2019. But, will their teams deliver?

Overall, in 2018, all five of the AL Central teams were disappointing. Yes, the Indians made it to the playoffs, but they were quickly defeated in the ALDS and not by a close margin. The Astros outscored the Tribe by 15 runs in three games.

To show how bad the AL Central was in 2018, the Indians took the division with 91 wins. If the Indians were in the AL East or West, they would have been third and not even in the running for a Wild Card bid.

When it came to losses in 2018, only one other division (the AL East) had a 100-loss team, the Orioles. The Tigers has 98 losses and finished third in the Central. In the AL West and all three NL divisions, the Tigers would have finished last or tied for last (the Marlins also had 98 losses).

At this point in the Hot Stove season, there are still too many unknowns. Free agents still need to be signed and trades need to happen before rosters are completed before Opening Day.

Other than competitive rosters that move their teams into the post-season, what would AL Central fans like to see “under the tree” on Christmas morning? Health and wellness are must-haves on a few of the teams. Big spending will be under the tree for others. For other teams, not being in the 100-loss club should be a Christmas wish, too.

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