Cory Moen

This is a look at what to expect from the Minnesota Twins this season. The Twins finished in fourth in the AL Central with a 70-92 record, after a trade deadline where they traded 10 major leaguers as part of a reset/rebuild/reboot (depends on who you ask). This marked a step back from 2024, when they went 82-80, and a hefty step back from 2023, when they won the division and their first playoff series in over 20 years. Here is a look at some notable additions and subtractions for the Twins this offseason. Twins Subtractions 2B Edouard Julien (trade with Rockies) C Christian Vazquez RP Pierson Ohl (trade with Rockies) Twins Additions C/1B Victor Caratini, 2 years, $14 million 1B/DH Josh Bell 1 year, $7 million RP Taylor Rogers - 1 year, $2 million RP Liam Hendriks (minor league deal) RP Anthony Banda (trade with Dodgers) SS Orlando Arcia (minor league deal) 3B Gio Urshela (minor league deal) RP Andrew Chafin (minor league deal) These additions and subtractions don’t tell the whole story, as the Twins traded 10 major leaguers at the 2025 deadline. Josh Bell and Victor Caratini add needed experience to a young lineup. After the trade deadline sell-off, the bullpen is wide open for opportunities from veteran and young arms alike. Taylor Rogers signed a one-year deal to reunite with Minnesota and will likely pitch high-leverage innings. Other high-leverage innings will go to Liam Hendriks, if healthy, along with Anthony Banda, and possibly Andrew Chafin as well. Internal options for high-leverage innings include Cole Sands and Justin Topa. The additions may seem to outweigh the subtractions, but they do not account for the ten players traded at the deadline, and the Twins are very much a team in transition as they look to retool to become competitive in the near future. Every team deals with injuries, and the Twins are no different. Here is a look at a few key injuries that will affect the Twins in 2026. Twins Injuries RHP Pablo Lopez, Tommy John Surgery RHP David Festa, right shoulder impingement (expected return in April) RHP Travis Adams, elbow inflammation (should return late Spring training, early in the season) OF Walker Jenkins, grade 1 left hamstring strain (expected return late March) The loss of Pablo Lopez was quite a blow for a Twins rotation that was looking for him to be his all-star caliber self and lead the staff, along with Joe Ryan. Lopez is under contract through 2027 and is expected back for the final year. David Festa, Travis Adams, and Walker Jenkins are all players who have dealt with injuries this Spring and will look to be ready for the beginning of the season or early in the season. Festa’s injury, in particular, was tough, which will test the pitching depth early in the year. The Twins hope these three players do not have long-term availability issues stemming from injuries sustained during Spring Training. As a team in transition, here is a look at some of the key players for the Twins in 2026. Key Twins Players CF Byron Buxton - 4.9 bWAR SP Joe Ryan - 4.5 bWAR SP Simeon Woods Richardson - 2.2 bWAR 2B/OF Luke Keaschall - 2.0 bWAR C Ryan Jeffers - 1.2 bWAR Byron Buxton, who recently played for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, will look to be the key piece of the lineup. Luke Keaschall was the only rookie who had a significant impact in 2025, but hopefully is the first of many young players who will make an impact for the Twins in the near future. Woods Richardson, whom the Twins acquired along with Austin Martin for Jose Berrios from the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2021 trade deadline, will look to continue growing into a solid starter for the rotation. Ryan will be the ace of the staff and will look to build off of his first All-Star appearance in 2025. The rotation has become a bit of a conundrum with a few injuries, but it could still provide upside, and Ryan will be a big part of any success they have this coming season. Speaking of top prospects, here is a look at the Twins' top prospects, which includes four players in MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects going into the 2026 season. Twins Top Prospects Walker Jenkins - OF Kaelen Culpepper - SS Eduardo Tait - C Emmanuel Rodriguez - OF Connor Prielipp - LHP This list includes four prospects who could be seen in the majors as early as this year. All but Tait have a good shot at the opportunity to make an impact at the major league level in 2026. Jenkins was the fifth overall prospect in 2023, in a class where the Twins jumped in the inaugural draft lottery. Culpepper has a shot at sticking at shortstop long-term, but has shown positional flexibility and could be an option at second base or third base as well. Tait came over to the Twins, along with Mick Abel, in the trade that sent Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies at last season’s trade deadline. He is 19 years old and has shown high upside, but is still a few years away from the majors. Rodriguez and Prielipp have both dealt with various injuries, with Rodriguez never having played 100 games in a season and Prielipp throwing just 112.2 innings since being drafted in 2022. Both have shown high ceilings, but the key will be staying healthy so they can have as big an impact as they can going forward. Twins Spring Storylines (and beyond) The Pitching Staff The rotation looked relatively deep prior to the Lopez and Festa injuries, but lots of the success out of the rotation will hinge on Bailey Ober getting back to form, along with younger pitchers Simeon Woods Richardson, Mick Abel, Zebby Matthews, and Taj Bradley taking a step forward. The bullpen is another questionable area, as the Twins traded all their high-leverage relievers at the deadline. The front office seems to think they can rebuild the bullpen on the fly, and time will tell whether they succeed. A few young players, such as Marco Raya, will transition into being a full-time reliever this year, but a lot will hinge on how some of the off-season moves perform. Young Twins Players And Their Impact Luke Keaschall was the only Twins rookie in 2025 who had a major impact, but that could be different this coming season. Lots of young players are expected to get a good amount of time in the majors, including top prospects Jenkins, Culpepper, and Prielipp. Along with those two, other prospects who have a shot at making their major league debuts include OF Gabriel Gonzalez, LHP Kendry Rojas, OF/1B Hendry Mendez, along with pitchers Andrew Morris and Marco Raya as well. The youth movement appears to have started in Minnesota, and time will tell what impact those players will have on 2026 and beyond. Here’s a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and projected record for the Twins this year: Projected Twins Lineup Byron Buxton - CF Josh Bell - 1B Luke Keaschall - 2B Matt Wallner - RF Victor Caratini - DH Trevor Larnach/Alan Roden - LF Royce Lewis - 3B Ryan Jeffers - C Brooks Lee - SS Projected Twins Rotation Joe Ryan - RHP Bailey Ober - RHP Taj Bradley - RHP Simeon Woods Richardson - RHP Zebby Matthews/Mick Abel - RHP Projected Twins Record PECOTA: 3rd place, 79-83 FanGraphs: 4th place, 79-83 You may be surprised to see the Twins are projected to improve on their 70-92 record from 2025 at first glance. This appears to be, in part, due to the belief that certain aspects of the roster will improve, and that other teams in the division may regress as well. The Twins have operated on a limited budget all off-season, and with a new person in charge of the front office, they will look to build up to relevance in the AL Central. It could be a very fun and exciting year in Minnesota, but it could also not go well, and the Twins could be trading pieces at the deadline again if things don’t go as they hope. American League Central Previews Detroit Tigers Cleveland Guardians

With the Royals looking to return to competitiveness in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look at the other teams in the division and the moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the Cleveland Guardians this season. The Guardians enter 2026 as the defending AL Central champions. After off-season changes, will they repeat and claim their fourth division title in five years? The big news out of Cleveland this offseason is the extension that third baseman Jose Ramirez signed, keeping him in Cleveland through 2032, which will be his age-39 season. As the face of the franchise, Ramirez sets the pace—when he thrives, so does the club. To understand how Cleveland looks coming into 2026, let's take a look at the additions and subtractions from this offseason. Guardians Subtractions OF Lane Thomas RP Sam Hentges RP Jakob Junis SP John Means SP Triston McKenzie OF Will Brennan Guardians Additions RP Colin Holderman, 1 year, $1.5 million (controlled through 2028) RP Shawn Armstrong, 1 year, $5.5 million, mutual option for 2027 1B Rhys Hoskins, minor league deal Hoskins, on a minor league deal, is expected to add power at first base and designated hitter. He will look to return to being an above-average hitter with 30-home-run potential. Armstrong, after a strong season in 2025 with the Texas Rangers, will likely take on higher-leverage innings with the departures of key relievers from the Guardians 2025 team. Holderman is a potential bullpen project for Cleveland, a team known for reviving and getting the most out of relievers. On the subtraction side, both reliever Sam Hentges and John Means have joined other teams (the Giants and Royals, respectively) following injury issues in recent years. Jakob Junis, after a solid 2025 season, may be a notable loss from the pitching staff after signing with the Texas Rangers. McKenzie, limited to 24 games over three seasons since his 2022 breakout, has also signed elsewhere and will look to revive his career in San Diego. The Guardians are a team that always seems to linger in the division race. While their roster may not appear very intimidating at first glance, they maintain competitiveness more often than not. One thing the AL Central has learned over the past few years is to never count the Guardians out, even when everything says to do so. Guardians Injuries Andrew Walters, recovering from lat surgery, should return in May and may join the bullpen if healthy. Ben Lively, who pitched well in 2024 and early 2025, will miss 2026 after Tommy John surgery and will look to return in 2027. Though some may see the Guardians as a team in transition, let's take a look at the current key players as well as who may be contributing at the major league level soon, in their top prospects. Key Guardians Players 3B Jose Ramirez - 5.8 bWAR SP Gavin Williams - 3.8 bWAR LF Steven Kwan - 3.7 bwAR 2B Daniel Schneemann - 1.9 bWAR C Bo Naylor - 1.5 bWAR Other notable players include Gabriel Arias (SS), Kyle Manzardo (1B/DH), and pitchers Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, and Kolby Allard. Top Guardians Prospects 2B Travis Bazzana OF Chase DeLauter SS Angel Genao 1B/OF Ralphy Velazquez LHP Parker Messick Ramirez remains the cog in their lineup, with Williams, Kwan, Schneemann, and Naylor among the main contributors. Arias, Manzardo, Bibee, Cantillo, and Allard are also expected to play important roles in looking to help keep the Guardians competitive in the Central. Bazzana, ranked MLB's No. 20 prospect, nears his debut after representing Australia in the WBC. DeLauter (No. 46 prospect) may break camp with the team and could see regular left-field time. Genao (No. 66) and Messick (No. 95) may debut this year; Velazquez (No. 89) is a 2027 candidate. Key Questions for Cleveland in 2026 Who is playing Center Field? For the outfield, manager Stephen Vogt has indicated that all outfielders may rotate between positions. Most likely, Steven Kwan shifts from left to center field, which opens the door for young bats to gain major league experience. DeLauter presents another option in center field if they prefer to keep Kwan in left field. What will the rotation look like? Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee are expected to anchor the first two rotation spots, leaving three open for competition. The performance of those filling these roles will serve as a key indicator of the Guardians' overall success. Young pitching has been a constant for the Guardians for many years. It would not be surprising to see the next wave—Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo, and Parker Messick—emerge as average or better major league starters. Will the Guardians be able to rely on Travis Bazzana? Bazzana missed time last year due to an oblique strain, playing in just 84 games, mostly at Double-A and Triple-A. If healthy, he could quickly join the major league roster, possibly by Opening Day. He's an electric player and will look to be a key piece along with Kwan and Ramirez for the foreseeable future. Here's a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and how the Guardians project over a full season. Projected Guardians Lineup Steven Kwan - CF George Valera - RF Jose Ramirez - 3B Kyle Manzardo - 1B Rhys Hoskins - DH Chase DeLauter - LF Bo Naylor - C Gabriel Arias - SS Brayan Rocchio - 2B Projected Guardians Rotation Gavin Williams - RHP Tanner Bibee - RHP Logan Allen - LHP Slade Cecconi - RHP Joey Cantillo - LHP Projected Guardians Record PECOTA: 4th place, 76-86 FanGraphs: 4th place, 76-86 While the Guardians may be projected to finish behind all AL Central teams other than the White Sox, this is not uncommon territory for Cleveland, which has outperformed its projections in recent years. The Guardians were 10.5 games out of first place on Sept 1 this past season and played very well down the stretch, going 20-6 the rest of the way to win the AL Central. The Guardians have proven to be pesky and never out of it, so don’t be surprised if they perform better than many think they will in 2026.

With the Royals looking to return to being competitive in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look around at the other teams in the division and what moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the 2026 Detroit Tigers. The Tigers finished second in the AL Central and secured a Wild Card spot, defeating the Guardians 2-1 in their opening playoff series before being eliminated by the Mariners in a five-game Division Series. This offseason brought about a series of significant moves for Detroit, as they attempt to attain October for the third straight season. Notable Tigers Subtractions Chris Paddack (starting pitcher) Tommy Kahnle (relief pitcher) Alex Cobb (starting pitcher) Alex Lange (relief pitcher) Andy Ibáñez (lefty masher) Justyn-Henry Malloy (third baseman/outfielder) Notable Tigers Additions Framber Valdez (starting pitcher) Justin Verlander (starting pitcher) Kenley Jansen (relief pitcher) Drew Anderson (swingman) Looking at these transactions, it appears the additions outweigh the subtractions for the Tigers. Specifically, Framber Valdez, a playoff-caliber starter, signed a lucrative three-year deal to slot in behind two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Meanwhile, Tigers legend Justin Verlander returns on a one-year deal, bringing valuable experience to fortify the rotation. Verlander will strengthen a rotation dealing with injuries, though given his age and recent track record, he could be among the injured at times. Drew Anderson is also joining as a depth rotation option, while Kenley Jansen is set to fill the primary closer and high-leverage bullpen role. Three key players who had at least a chance of going elsewhere have also returned. Starter Jack Flaherty exercised his player option for 2026; second baseman Gleyber Torres accepted the qualifying offer of $22.025 million; and trade deadline acquisition Kyle Finnegan hit free agency but ultimately re-signed for two years. Tigers Injuries Jackson Jobe - returning from Tommy John surgery Troy Melton - slowed by elbow inflammation in spring training; will start on 60-day IL Reese Olson - out for the year Key Tigers Players C Dillon Dingler - 3.1 bWAR in 2025 1B Spencer Torkelson - 2.3 bWAR in 2025 2B Gleyber Torres - 2.9 bWAR in 2025 3B Zach McKinstry - 2.8 bWAR in 2025 LHP Tarik Skubal - 6.5 bWAR in 2025 Skubal, embarking on a defense of two straight Cy Young Awards and trying to position himself for a historic free-agent payday, is the most obvious center of gravity for the team, but last year, the club thrived because of its balance. They ranked 11th in runs, 10th in home runs, 12th in OPS, and 16th in batting average last season. Their 61 steals, however, were last in MLB. Top Tigers Prospects Kevin McGonigle - SS Max Clark - OF Josue Briceno - C/1B Bryce Rainer - SS Thayron Liranzo - C/1B Observers are especially optimistic about Kevin McGonigle, a likely early-season call-up—if he's not on the Opening Day roster. Max Clark, taken just before Walker Jenkins in the 2023 MLB Draft, will be compared to Jenkins as their careers unfold in the AL Central. Tigers Spring Storylines (and Beyond) Verlander's triumphant return and Skubal's potentially imminent exit loom large, but the team is trying to establish a winning identity that will stretch beyond this year and those two players. At 25, Riley Greene is expected to continue progressing toward stardom. Emerging talents like Colt Keith, McGonigle, and Clark could shape the Tigers’ future core. When and how well Jobe returns from Tommy John surgery will be a major storyline, too. Beyond Jansen, Finnegan and Vest line up for late innings. However, the work of the pen will be spread very evenly. A.J. Hinch has earned considerable praise for his nimble usage of an often motley relief crew. What he dubbed 'pitching chaos' during the 2024 playoffs has been an effective tack for keeping order over the last year and a half, leading to two straight overachieving seasons. The Tigers are expected to remain competitive in the AL Central in 2026. Projected Tigers Lineup Parker Meadows - CF Gleyber Torres - 2B Riley Greene - LF Spencer Torkelson - 1B Kerry Carpenter - DH Dillon Dingler - C Colt Keith - 3B Matt Vierling/Wenceel Pérez - RF Zach McKinstry - SS Note: Javier Báez is an option off the bench with this lineup—and could sometimes be the starting shortstop, with McKinstry shifting to third base, like he played last year. Projected Tigers Rotation Tarik Skubal - LHP Framber Valdez - LHP Justin Verlander - RHP Jack Flaherty - RHP Casey Mize - RHP Projected Tigers Record PECOTA: 2nd place, 83-79 Fangraphs: 1st place, 85-77 If everyone stays healthy, the Tigers are the favorite to win the Central this year. They seem to have improved overall in the offseason, and are looking for the young core group to take a step forward and see if they can get past the Division Series.