2019 Bot Set -- AL Central

After this post, we're halfway through the 2019 Bot Set! Arguably the weakest division in the 2019 Set, the AL Central provides two absolute stinkers at the bottom, below-average White Sox, an underachieving Cleveland squad, and a REALLY good Twins team... and it's about time, considering how bad the Twins were in the original 00/01 sets and the 18 set. They're okay in the '20 set, but it's hard to count that shortened year for a lot of fans... so enjoy their swag at the end of the post!

MVP Mauer is obviously a great card.... but at the risk of blasphemy, would he even start at catcher for the 2019 Twins??? 

Detroit Tigers (47-114)

Lineup: How did this team win 47 games?? I like to highlight draftable players on bad teams, but it is SLIM PICKINGS for Detroit. I guess Niko has a potentially useful SS at end of your order card, but mainly this is a "I need a 10 pt point at catcher" squad...... also, it's depressing seeing Miguel Cabrera fall so so so far.

Rotation: The only bright spot of this team is starting pitcher Matthew Boyd, just by virtue of bringing a useable Tier 3 starter. Honestly, no dreadful starters here -- they've got a chance to get hot and hold opponents to a run or two while praying the offense gets lucky. That must be the only way they got over 40 wins.

Bullpen: Okay, I don't know how  they protected leads. Look here for point saving options at backend of your bullpen, and that is IT. Just..... just dreadful.

Overall: Wow, this team is putrid/the worst in the set -- that's right, move over Orioles! It's hard to describe how an MLB can end up under 3500 points... let alone under 3000 points.... but the Tigers come in at a putrid 2650 points. At least their fans can look ahead to 2023 as a year things will (hopefully) turn around with their young prospects.

Kansas City Royals (59-103)

Lineup: While this team is still clearly a 100+ loss squad, at least there's some super draftable pieces on offense. Let's start with versatile 2B and OF Whit Merrifield -- for under 300 pts, you get a solid OB 8 with A speed and tons of average (singles start at 6) that can be a leadoff hitter you plug in and let go to work. An interesting option is SS Mondesi, a fantasy baseball superstar whose low OBP game doesn't translate well to Showdown... that said, even though he's OB 6, I'm intrigued by his massive 1B+ range. He's essentially a double at 6!!!!!! For under 200 points, he may be a super valuable 9 hitter! A more traditional pick is the stud OB 8 3B/OF Brian Dozier -- position flexibility and some POP on his chart. For 330 points, he's a stellar 5 or 6 hitter. The most expensive and best hitter is the corner OF stud Jorge Soler -- OB 8, HR at 16-20 for a powerful 4 or 5 hitter on almost any squad. I think Alex Gordon, for only 150 pts as an OB 8, will also be drafted to be someone's 7 or 8 hitter on the cheap. 

Rotation: Ok, this is bad. Let's move along to the players you'll spend more time thinking about drafting instead of maybe taking in a desperate salary-saving gesture in the final rounds.

Bullpen: Another year, another handful of KC relievers worth kicking the tires on in a draft! Here, that's mostly Tier 3, Control 3 guys with no doubles -- but that's a powerful 3rd/4th option to have in a league, especially for under 200 pts. 

Overall: The Royals are clearly in full rebuild mode, but like the original 00 Royals, there's a lot of mid-to-late round draft pick targets on this team. All told, the 2019 Royals come in at 3470 points.

Chicago White Sox (79-83)

Lineup: All the makings for the breakthrough 2020 lineup (and 2021 lineup if it's ever healthy) are showing on this 2019 squad. McCann and Abreu are frustratingly lesser than 2020 and I don't think are strong draft options, although McCann has a good chart and arm with his OB 7. Anderson and Moncada are the unquestionably stars in the infield and bring GOOD OB 9 cards to center a squad around. It's nice to see Moncada living up to his "switch-hitting Cano" billing, albeit at third base. A guy that I really, really like for 260 points is Eloy Jimenez -- yes, he's an OB 7, but I love his power and ability to get hits rather than walks. I love the idea of plugging him into my lineup as a 6 or 7 hitter. 

Rotation: This is clearly the part of the team that needed the most work (i.e. adding Dallas, trading for Lynn before 2021), but boy oh boy you've got to love this Giolito card: Tier 2, Control 4 - absolute beast K range. After him, I think Cease gets drafted as a 3/4 starter, but I'd stay away from the rest. This is the rotation of a .500-ish squad.

Bullpen: Some real gems here in the Sox bullpen. Colome is a BEAST closer, but Bummer is an even better version of him (people love the no doubles). Evan Marshall is a solid Tier 3, then there's some Tier 4, C4 pitchers to help fill out your 'pen.

Overall: The White Sox were a year away in 2019, but the framework for the World Series contenders of 2020 and 2021 was there! They come in at 4680 points. While that won't scare the top two teams of the division, it is a marked improvement from KC and Detroit. 

Cleveland Indians (93-69)

Lineup: Not the strength of this squad, but I honestly thought it'd be worse. Let's start off with the surefire 1st or 2nd round pick in one of our leagues -- Roberto Perez! Not who you were expecting, huh? Well, that's what happens when Perez puts up an OB 7 with 16-20 homer power with (and here's the kicker) a +14 arm!!!!! All that is for a measley 260 points. People are going to be chomping at the bit for this card in our leagues. Then you've got the Jeff/WDR primo target in 1B Carlos Santana -- OB 10, HR at 18, lots of walks for under 400 pts. Meanwhile, I really like this Lindor card -- only 370 pts for a 1B+ at 12, HR at 17 OB 8 with above-average defense! Sadly, this was a down year for Jose Ramirez, but his OB 7 card has serious doubles pop (2B at 12). In the OF is their most expensive hitter, Jordan Luplow (another surprise to most fans). OB 9, HR at 17 guy with multiple doubles and speed (b), definitely a draftable piece for the top of a lineup. Honestly, Franmil is a more cost-effective Eloy out in the corner OF, and I may have to revise my Eloy strategy. So yeah, much better lineup than I anticipated with lots of guys to keep in mind for a draft! 

Rotation: The strength of this team and potentially the best rotation in 2019 Showdown -- 2019 Cleveland has THREE starters above 500 points to start off the rotation, and not a single starter under 420 pts. They've got the full spectrum of Tier 2 starters with C4 Clevinger, C5 Bieber and C6 Civale. Plesac then brings a good Tier 3, Control 3 while Plutko rounds out the rotation with your standard C4, Tier 3 card. Honestly, what can be said a bout this rotation's potency beyond what these cards clearly show below?

Bullpen: The pitching stays STRONG in Cleveland. I have a sneaky suspicion that Tyler Clippard's Tier 1, IP 2 card is going to be picked in the first five rounds. Then, there's no way that Tier 2 Wittgren isn't drafted. Those guys are supported by a cast of Tier 3 arms, giving opponents no chance to catch their breath (although Perez's two on-chart doubles will make you hold your breath if you draft him)!

Overall: Cleveland comes in at a surprising 6150 points for a non-playoff team -- but with a rotation featuring three guys over 500 points, a gaudy salary cannot be shocking. But what *is* shocking is that, at 307.5 points per player, the Indians have the second-highest "talent per card" in the MLB so far!!! I know that's got to hype out the Cleveland boys reading this right now!

Minnesota Twins (101-61)

Lineup: Ok, this is the best lineup in 2019 Showdown thus far. Absolutely cruising to a title in the Tatis v. Garver, who would you draft in the 2019 set first debate is MITCH GARVER. This man is the best catcher card that I've seen so far -- OB 9 with decent arm, but with 15-20 HR pop!!! This card is absolutely potent and the perfect #3 hitter while filling the weakest hitting position in the set. In order to illustrate how insane the lineup is around Garver, let me lay out a sample lineup:

1. Arraez -- 2B, OB 10
2. Kepler -- LF, OB 8, HR at 16
3. Garver -- C, OB 9, HR at 15
4. Cruz -- DH, OB 9, HR at 16
5. Sano -- 3B, OB 8, HR at 15
6. Polanco -- SS, OB 8, 2B at 15
7. Rosario -- RF, OB 7, HR at 16
8. Cron -- 1B, OB 7, HR at 16
9. Buxton -- CF, OB 7, speed A, 1B+ at 7, 2B at 9!!!

Truly, this lineup is bonkers insane and I pity the team that makes a mistake pitch to 7/9th of the lineup. Meanwhile, the 2 thru 5 is just ridiculous power projections and Buxton is the most deadly #9 hitter in the league, but a wide margin (I love his 9-16 double range so, so much). In the end, I see no-brainer draft picks from this lineup in Arraez, Garver, Cruz, Kepler, Sano, Polanco and Buxton... and Cron, Rosario and Schoop have a good chance of getting snagged by someone who goes all in on SP and needs power bats to pressure the other squad. Just an insane collection of boom potential by these Twins!

Rotation: The pitching staff is much improved in the BOT's calcs compared to the Template. Now, the Twins rotation is deadly enough to support the hitting no problem, turning them into a legit title contender. Odorizzi is the best pitcher as a Tier 2, Control 6 -- the Eric Milton of the staff! As the better known Tier 3 pitcher, Berrios fills a Radke-esque role and I think he'll be picked too. Pineda is another Tier 3, and then the pair of Tier 4, C3 guys will be supported by the DEEP Twins bullpen.

Bullpen: There is no weakness to this Twins team. Here, we've got not one or two or three, but an incredible FIVE Tier 2 pitchers in the bullpen. All should be drafted. Just one after another, the Twins can throw out C4, 1-17 out pitchers. It's unfair, especially since almost every hitter they have is rocking with 30+ HR power and four of them have 40+ HR power...... and their middle bats are 50+ homer potential! Just a sick, sick team.

Overall: The Twins have to be considered a true championship contender with this squad, especially with such a deep and explosive lineup. The rotation is much improved from the original set, and the bullpen is absolutely stacked. In terms of "on Showdown paper", it's stunning the Yankees swept this squad. At 6850 points, the salary backs up that perception. Indeed, the Twins have the highest "points per player" total of any team so far, demonstrating they have superior talent to any team in the AL or NL East.

Ranked by Points -- So far:

1. Rays -- 7100 points (296 points per player)
2. Twins -- 6850 points (311 points per player)
3. Yankees -- 6540 points (297)
4. Nationals -- 6280 points (299)
5. Braves -- 6200 points (282)
6. Cleveland -- 6150 points (307)
7. Red Sox -- 5620 points (281)
8. Mets -- 5280 points (278)
9. Phillies -- 4750 points (238)
10. White Sox -- 4680 (246)
11. Blue Jays -- 4190 points (220)
12. Orioles -- 3660 points (183)
13. Marlins -- 3520 points (195)
14. Royals -- 3470 points (192)
15. Tigers -- 2650 points (147)

It should surprise no one that the AL Central features the two worst teams so far.... but the Twins position as best squad for "points per player" is stunning. I don't think they'll hold onto that crown once the West divisions are done, but they're a legit World Series contender!