2022 AL Central Preview: Twins, Tigers to challenge incumbent White Sox?

At this time just over a month ago, it didn’t look like we were going to make it to an early April start to the season. Fresh off the latest round of failed collective bargaining agreement negotiations, commissioner Rob Manfred announced MLB was cancelling the first two series of the season and pushing back Opening Day a week.

The more days that went by without the league and MLB Players Association reaching a deal, the more games that would be cancelled. Over the course of a few long days, it looked like no longer like a question of when we would get baseball in 2022, but if.

Then, somehow, someway, on the 99th day of the lockout, they figured things out. The season – all 162 games no less – was saved. And we couldn’t be happier.

With Opening Day just two days away, here is a team-by-team look at the American League Central division, which got a lot more competitive with the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins swinging big in the off-season.

2021 Record: 93-69

Key Additions: C Reese McGuire, INF/OF Josh Harrison, OF A.J. Pollock, P Joe Kelly, P Vince Velasquez, P Kendall Graveman

Key Losses: C Zack Collins, 2B Cesar Hernandez, OF Billy Hamilton, P Carlos Rodon, P Ryan Tepera, P Craig Kimbrel

The White Sox went into one of baseball’s deeper rebuilds over the past decade, recording seven straight losing seasons from 2013 to 2019. And then prospects started to arrive, players developed, a little money was spent and the Southsiders started winning games, making the playoffs in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. But progress is rarely linear.

Despite winning 93 games last season – a high since the World Series-winning team swept the Houston Astros in 2005 – Chicago was bounced in the first round for the second consecutive