Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins: Who’s More Likely to Contend with White Sox in AL Central

As far as the bookmakers are concerned, the American League Central belongs to the Chicago White Sox. As of writing this article, the White Sox are -200 to win the AL Central for the second year in a row. 

Chicago fans have to be pleased by this after a decade without a division title. But, now they are the reigning AL Central winners and are massive favorites (-200) to repeat in 2022. But, that doesn’t mean they are a lock to win this division again. It’s a long season and a lot can happen between now and October. With teams like the Twins and Tigers in the division, the White Sox will be constantly looking over their shoulder. 

And while I don’t disagree that the White Sox should be favored, I think the oddsmakers aren’t giving the Tigers and Twins enough credit. With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at each of those two teams and predict who can give the White Sox a challenge in 2022. 

The odds listed are via WynnBET Sportsbook.

Minnesota Twins +500

The Twins went from back-to-back AL Central titles to finishing in the basement of the division in 2021. With a 73-89 record, there is a lot of room to improve this year. They did well to sign Carlos Correa and Sonny Gray to help bring them back into the spotlight. A healthy Byron Buxton would add a lot of help to this roster. There are a lot of question marks here, but the Twins have had more recent success than the Tigers. 

Detroit Tigers +600

The Tigers look like a team that is just about done putting all their pieces together. They are a team stacked with farm talent, and I feel like those guys will make a big difference this year. Guys like Mat Manning and Casey Mize saw Major League action last year and showed a lot of potential. I expect them, and others from this system, to take big steps forward this year. On top of that, the Tigers have one of the frontrunners for Rookie of The Year in Spencer Torkelson. Riley Greene is a dark horse for ROY, but he is just another young gun the Tigers have heading into 2022. Let’s not forget the veteran signings of Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez. If the rookies play up to their potential, watch out. 

It’s pretty clear to me that, despite the odds, Detroit is in a better spot to take the AL Central from the White Sox.