Justin Verlander: the A.L. Central's "Ace"
Welcome to the American League Central version of our best players by position. In this series, we will take it position-by-position and determine who the best player at each position is around the diamond. For the starting pitchers, an ace will be named, followed by the rest of a 5-man rotation. Read the brief descriptions to find out who is the class of the entire division, at any position.
Comments are welcome!
Catcher: Joe Mauer – Minnesota Twins – this one is not even close. He is the best at his position across all of baseball, not just the AL Central. He went from 28 homers in ’09 to just 9 last year. Thanks, Target Field! He’ll get back to around 15-18 homers this year with his usual amazing batting average.
First Base: Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers – Cabrera not only receives best 1B distinction but he is also the best player in the entire division, at any position. If Magglio Ordonez and Victor Martinez are healthy, look for a .330 average, 42 homers, and 135 RBI effort in 2011.
Second Base: Gordon Beckham – Chicago White Sox – It is an exceptionally weak class of 2nd basemen in the AL Central. Beckham edges out Mike Aviles of all people. Beckham had a rough sophomore season but I’d expect a rebound this year along the lines of a .265 average, 15 homers, and 65 RBI’s.
Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez – Chicago White Sox – the South-Siders get both sides of the keystone combination. Alexei “Thin Mint” Ramirez just keeps on hitting. In 3 seasons in Chicago, he’s hit .283 while averaging 18 homers, 72 RBI’s, and 13 steals. He’s an awesome talent.
Third Base: Brandon Inge – Detroit Tigers – This one is between Inge and the Twins’ Danny Valencia. I’m giving the edge to Inge at the moment mainly due to his superior defense. However, if Valencia has another year like he did in 2010, that will change quickly.
Outfield:
- Delmon Young – Minnesota Twins – DY had such a big year in 2010 that he was in the MVP race for a while. He always had the talent and 21 homers and 112 RBI’s later, has finally realized it.
- Shin Soo-Choo – Cleveland Indians – This guy is an absolute hitting machine who is being wasted away on a terrible Indians team. He has hit .300 in 2 straight years and also went for 20/20 in both ’09 and ’10 in homers and steals. He’s a stud.
- Alex Rios – Chicago White Sox – Rios is in the top 3 for now but Denard Span and Austin Jackson are hot on his trail as the best centerfielders in the division. If Jackson can hit like he did in 2010 with a little more pop, in combination with his Gold Glover caliber defense, he might be the guy.
Starting Rotation:
- Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers – JV is the division’s ace. His ERA keeps trending downward. He has topped 200 K’s two years in a row and he already has 83 wins on his resume.
- Francisco Liriano – Minnesota Twins - Liriano, fully recovered from his Tommy John surgery, had his big comeback year in 2010. He posted 201 K’s and 14 wins. Look for more of the same out of the supremely talented lefty.
- Carl Pavano – Minnesota Twins – The rest of the division was hoping that the ‘stache would take his services elsewhere as a free agent this offseason. Smartly, the Twins re-signed him and he will hope to build on a 17-win campaign in 2010.
- John Danks – Chicago White Sox – Of all the talent on the Sox pitching staff, Danks is the man. He had a career-high in wins with 15 and K’s with 162 in 2010. He’s only 25 years old and is well on his way to a dominant career.
- Max Scherzer – Detroit Tigers – Some might wonder if he’s done enough to be #5 on this list. The fact is that for about 3 months last year, there was simply nobody better. He has his mechanics in line, and a 3.50 ERA, 12 win, 184 K line to fall back on from last year. He’s legit.
Closer: Joakim Soria – Kansas City Royals – He edges out Joe Nathan for now, and not just because of the fact that Nathan didn’t throw a single pitch in 2010 due to his elbow injury/surgery. Soria’s line in 2010: 43 saves, 1.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 71 K’s in 65.2 innings. He might be the best in baseball.
For more in this series, see below:
