The Long Game: Potential AL Central Breakouts

With the two eastern divisions in the books, it's time to head west, or at least midwest. It's also time to consider the impact of the latest rumor regarding possible games, as MLB is floating the idea of creating some sort of closed-off baseball bubble in Arizona. I'm not going to get into the merits of that plan beyond saying it strangely mirrors a certain dril tweet, but if it does come to pass in some fashion, the impact on stats would be enormous. Last year's regular-season homer boom could look quaint in comparison.

Now, let's take a look at the AL Central:

White Sox

Shallow: Reynaldo Lopez

Lopez feels like one of those guys who's been in the majors long enough to disappoint pretty much every GM in your entire fantasy league, but he's actually only headed into his fifth MLB campaign. The right-hander is still only 26 and still features stuff that, on the surface, seems top shelf, but the lack of life and spin on his fastball and curve have made him too hittable. Even so, he posted the best swinging strike rate of his career in 2019, and for the second straight year he finished strong. Pale Hose pitching coach Don Cooper finally unlocked Lucas Giolito's potential, and with Yasmani Grandal's veteran hand behind the plate helping to guide him, Lopez could be next on the list to step up.

Deep: Jimmy Cordero

Alex Colome remarkably didn't get traded last year, breaking the franchise's recent tradition of flipping closers, but now that he's in the final year of his current contract, a deal seems inevitable. There's no obvious candidate to be next in line, but with Chicago probably looking to compete sooner rather than later, they may want a homegrown closer who can settle into the role for the next few years instead of churning through another veteran temp like Steve Cishek. Cordero, who once upon a time looked like a possible Closer in Waiting in Toronto, may be ready to seize the job. Over the last few years, he's bounced from the Jays to the Phillies to the Nats back to the Jays to the M's and then to the White Sox, where he suddenly started finding the strike zone again. His high-90s sinker/changeup combo is geared more towards weak contact than K's, but it's also an arsenal that could make him a much safer ninth-inning option in an era when any fly ball could leave the park.

Cleveland

Shallow: James Karinchak

Some clubs lack obvious apprentices for their current closer. Cleveland has two of them in Karinchak and Emmanuel Clase, but since only one of them was healthy this spring, I'll give the nod to Karinchak. The 24-year-old righty posted absolutely absurd strikeout numbers last year across four levels, including an 8:1 K:BB in 5.1 big-league innings, and his stuff is quality, as he features a 97 mph fastball with excellent life and a hammer curve. Brad Hand struggled down the stretch in 2019, shying away from throwing his plus slider for some reason, and the fact that the organization couldn't find a specific medical reason why is perhaps the most concerning part. Waving that decline away as "just a tired arm" seems ill advised for a pitcher who's averaged more than 70 appearances a season over the last four years. If Hand can't regain his form, the door will be open for Karinchak to claim ninth-inning duties.

Deep: Bradley Zimmer

The Cleveland outfield remains sketchy, to be polite. Franmil Reyes and Domingo Santana offer some offensive upside, but both are better suited to be DH's rather than regular defenders. Oscar Mercado is fine, but hardly a star. And at the moment, the other cornet OF spot still looks like a potential platoon between Tyler Naquin and Jordan Luplow, with occasional plate appearances being wasted on speedy fifth outfielders like Delino DeShields or Greg Allen. Basically, there's a golden opportunity here for someone to step up – someone like a finally healthy Zimmer, for instance. The 26-year-old has missed most of the last two seasons due to shoulder issues, but prior to that he was one of the organization's top prospects, offering center field-caliber defense with some power and speed. Contact issues make him a batting average risk, but if he finally makes his way back to the majors and claims a starting role, he's have 20-20 potential over a full schedule.

Tigers

Shallow: Travis Demeritte

Detroit brought back Cameron Maybin in the offseason, an odd decision considering they basically had two younger versions of Maybin on the roster already in JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes. That does give them an athletic trio of outfielders who could end up forming one of the best defensive units in baseball, though. Then there's Demeritte. Picked up from Atlanta last year, he doesn't have the defensive ability of the other three, but he could provide the power none of them can. DH isn't an option as long as Miguel Cabrera is standing, which sticks the 25-year-old in an outfield corner, but the Tigers may find they need his offense more than they need a slick glove and fairly empty .240 batting average. Christin Stewart could also fill that role, and unlike Demeritte he's a lefty -- giving him a platoon advantage in the event there's only room on the roster for one of them -- but Demeritte appears to have surpassed Stewart in terms of pure offensive upside. On a team more clearly in full rebuild mode, that upside should take precedence. Demeritte's .313/.353/1.063 spring slash line, with four of his five hits leaving the yard, doesn't hurt either.

Deep: Isaac Paredes

The Tigers were a tough organization to find a true deep sleeper on. The big-league roster is mostly made up of stopgaps, with the occasional exception of a Miggy or Joe Jimenez. The best prospects are true studs like Matt Manning and Casey Mize, and even someone like Tarik Skubal has too much buzz to really qualify (and even then, I think he's more likely to become the next Andrew Miller than the next Blake Snell.) Paredes, however, might just thread that needle. He doesn't have a lot of dynasty cache given his seemingly limited offensive upside, but a guy who could hit .280 with 20 homers at third base isn't anything to sneeze at. He's also got the kind of batting eye that could allow him to surprise, and he's only 21. Detroit isn't likely to rush him up to the majors if he doesn't seem ready, but guys like Jeimer Candelario or Dawel Lugo don't seem like obstacles.

Royals

Shallow: Ryan McBroom

In a town that once celebrated Steve "Bye-Bye" Balboni, it would be fitting if another former Yankee farmhand with the ready-made nickname of McBoom had some success. In theory, McBroom will be on the short side of a platoon with Ryan O'Hearn to begin the season, but O'Hearn should be on a short leash after an awful 2019, whereas McBroom has yet to provide any evidence he's nothing more than a Quad-A player. We've seen guys with his profile make a splash in recent years, such as Luke Voit, and it won't cost much to find out of McBroom can be the next right-handed first baseman to have a late career renaissance.

Deep: Josh Staumont

Ian Kennedy is probably on the trade block if he has another strong season as the closer for the Royals, and if he regresses, that could lead to a ninth-inning vacancy as well. The club does have veterans with closing experience around, like Greg Holland and Trevor Rosenthal, but they still have to prove they have something left in the tank. Staumont, on the other hand, is basically a Ricky Vaughn starter kit, as he has sometimes overpowering stuff and only a vague idea where the plate is. His walk rate did improve a bit in the majors, and if that progress continues just a little further, his strikeout rate should spike as batters will no longer be able to simply lay off everything except heat right down the middle.

Twins

Shallow: Byron Buxton

The Twins are legit World Series contenders, so finding possible breakouts on such a set roster can be tricky. I'm cheating a bit here with Buxton, but his upside remains significant if he can just stop getting hurt all the darn time, and that thick medical file is keeping his auction price in check. In a shortened season, there would be fewer chances for an injury-prone player to get hurt, and it looks like Buxton will at least be 100 percent to begin this season after spending the latter part of 2019 nursing a bum shoulder. Plus, he's still only 26, and we don't yet have a clear idea what his ceiling actually is. 20-20? 20-30? 25-40?

Deep: Lewis Thorpe

The (eventual) offseason addition of Kenta Maeda, and the possibility Rich Hill will be healthy by Opening Day, would seem to fill up the Minnesota rotation. Even if Hill isn't ready, Randy Dobnak appears to be the next man up in the rotation, and Dobnak himself is a worthy late-draft grab as a result. Hill is 40, though, and Homer Bailey is far from a sure thing either. If that depth gets tested, Thorpe could have an opportunity to prove himself as a viable long-term big-league starter. The lefty struggled in his debut last year, mostly out of the bullpen, but he still posted a 25.0 percent K-rate with similarly dominant strikeout and walk rates at Triple-A. Thorpe has his own somewhat checked injury history, but he seems fully healthy now and at 24 years old, he could have a lot of good years ahead of him.