2026 AL Central division preview: Lineups, rotations and one question for each team

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The American League Central certainly isn't the strongest division in baseball, but, as was the case last season, it figures to be competitive at the top in 2026. It's again possible that the division will yield multiple postseason berths, but that might be more difficult given the likely improvement at the bottom of the division. One team figures to be the solid favorite, but the margins aren't large, which means an opportunity for other AL Central squads. To get a better idea of how things might play out in flyover country, let's now preview the AL Central for the upcoming 2026 Major League Baseball season.

Odds via Caesars

Detroit Tigers (+120 to win division)

Projected starting lineup

Projected rotation

Notable relievers

Closer: Kenley Jansen, RHP
Setup: RHP Kyle Finnegan, RHP Will Vest, LHP Tyler Holton

Biggest question: Is this Tarik Skubal's last ride in Detroit?

The winner of the last two AL Cy Young awards and perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball, Skubal will be in his walk year in 2026. The expectation is that he'll again be at the top of his craft and position himself for a massive payday on the free agent market during the 2026-27 offseason. Or will the Tigers somehow manage to sign Skubal to an extension before that time comes? Signs at this juncture point resoundingly toward no. It's exceedingly rare for a superstar like Skubal to sign an extension this close to reaching free agency, and the Tigers -- meaning, mostly, lackluster owner Christopher Ilitch -- have not behaved seriously toward their franchise talent. First came their extension talks following the 2024 season, in which the club reportedly made an offer that can't be characterized as anything but insulting. Then came an absurdly low arbitration offer (the Tigers, not surprisingly, lost their arbitration hearing against Skubal). Consider all of this and, no, a late-hour extension for Skubal doesn't seem plausible.

To the Tigers' credit, they didn't trade their ace of aces this past offseason, which makes them real threats to make the playoffs for the third straight year and favorites to win the division. As well, they fortified their rotation behind Skubal with Framber Valdez, the top starting pitcher on the free-agent market. They also brought back franchise legend Justin Verlander to stabilize the back end after Reese Olson underwent shoulder surgery that will sideline him all season. The potential 2026 arrivals of infielder Kevin McGonigle and outfielder Max Clark, two of the top prospects in all of baseball, should also help make Skubal's (presumed) final season in Detroit a memorable one. The Tigers, though, shouldn't let the Skubal era end without a good-faith, powerhouse effort to keep him around beyond 2026.

Kansas City Royals (+225)

Projected starting lineup

Projected rotation

Notable relievers

Closer: Carlos Estévez, RHP
Setup: LHP Matt Strahm, RHP Lucas Erceg

Biggest question: Will Jac Caglianone be the hitter they need?

There's a lot to like about the Royals as they angle to notch a third straight winning season in 2026. There's rotation depth, and ace Cole Ragans is a bounce-back candidate this season. The Matt Strahm signing was a nice targeted strike that improves the bullpen. Bobby Witt Jr. will likely be in the American League MVP race once again and Maikel Garcia is one of the most underrated players in the game. They could, however, use additional power to complement what's provided by Witt, Salvador Perez, and Vinnie Pasquantino. That brings us to Caglianone. The University of Florida product and the No. 6 overall pick of the 2024 Draft has big-time power, but getting to that power against more advanced competition is an issue thanks to his occasional swing-and-miss problems. Across 232 plate appearances with KC last season as a rookie, Cags had an OPS+ of just 49 and chased pitches outside the zone way too often. None of this is overly concerning for a 22 year old who was facing big-league pitching for the first time, but the Royals need Caglianone to flip the switch in 2026. Last season, KC ranked 26th in MLB in home runs and 18th in slugging, and Caglianone could address those deficits in direct fashion if he finds something close to his expected level of production in 2026.

Cleveland Guardians (+375)

Projected starting lineup

Projected rotation

Notable relievers

Closer: Cade Smith, RHP
Setup: RHP Hunter Gaddis, RHP Shawn Armstrong

Biggest question: Can they score enough runs?

The Dolans are, perhaps somewhat quietly, some of the worst owners in the sport -- utterly unwilling to invest in the product for so much of recent history despite receiving a quite substantial amount of money through revenue sharing. This time around, their lack of interest in the on-field product will be most keenly felt on offense. The Guardians last season finished strong to eke out the division title, but they did so despite a negative run differential. That was largely a reflection of the offense, which ranked 28th in MLB in runs scored, 29th in OPS, 28th in OPS+, 29th in wOBA, and 30th in xwOBA. That's a terrible run-scoring attack, and the ever-excellent José Ramírez can do only so much. As for new additions, there's ... Rhys Hoskins, who's in camp as an NRI. Yes, the Guardians are among the very best at developing pitchers and Ramírez is a future Hall of Famer who's still at the top of the game. The rest of the lineup, though, probably isn't good enough to put the Guards in contention for another trip to the playoffs in 2026. That fatal flaw traces right back to ownership.

Minnesota Twins (+950)

Projected starting lineup

Projected rotation

Notable relievers

Closer: Taylor Rogers, LHP
Setup: RHP Justin Topa, LHP Kody Funderburk

Biggest question: Is the teardown complete?

Leading up to the 2025 trade deadline, no team was more active on the seller side than the Twins were. With front office turnover, a new manager, and persistent rumblings about a sale of the team, what's ahead? It's hard to see the Twins as contenders, even in the AL Central, and that's especially the case after ace Pablo López was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery. If the Twins struggle in the first half, will franchise stalwart Byron Buxton be asked to consider waiving his no-trade clause? Will the underrated Joe Ryan be shopped to a contender? Will high-upside Royce Lewis be dangled now that he's into his arbitration years? Those are the big unknowns, which fittingly reflect the uncertain future of the organization.

Chicago White Sox (+3000)

Projected starting lineup

Projected rotation

Notable relievers

Closer: Seranthony Domínguez, RHP
Setup: LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP Jordan Leasure

Biggest question: Will the rebuild take the next step?

This winter's trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets was in some ways the capstone on the White Sox's teardown process -- a teardown that saw them crater to a record 121 losses in 2024. After the teardown comes the rebuild. With their veteran contributors largely departed, the focus now shifts to developing and improving the young talent that's now on hand. That's the next step for a club that could possibly contend as soon as 2027. Peruse that projected lineup above and you'll find that seven of the nine hitters are 26 years old or younger. The bench skews young as well, as do two of the five projected members of the rotation. That's not to mention five consensus top-100 prospects still on the way, and the Sox will of course have the top overall pick in this year's MLB Draft. Other questions flow from that central question above. Will Colson Montgomery scale his power outburst in 2025 to a full season in 2026? Will splash signing Munetaka Murakami -- himself just 26 -- make enough contact to tap fully into his impressive raw power? Which of those prospects will trickle into the South Side this season? It's a big bridge year for Chicago.