WINNER: Chicago White Sox
WILD CARD CONTENDER: Cleveland Indians
The deep pitching staff of the Chicago White Sox will propel them to their second straight division crown. Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras, John Garland, and Javier Vazquez are all capable of winning 15 plus games in the 2006 season. An active off-season for the White Sox landed them veteran slugger, Jim Thome. If Thome stays healthy, look for him to return to his 2004 form, where he batted .275, belted 42 home runs, and drove in 105 runs. One obstacle that could propel other teams to the top of the AL Central is the serious back injury to their saves leader from the 2005 season, Dustin Hermanson.
The loss of the speedy leadoff hitter Coco Crisp, who batted .300 last year, and the 2005 AL leader in Earned Run Average (2.86) Kevin Millwood will hurt the Indians’ chances of dethroning the White Sox for the 2006 division title. Look for Catcher Victor Martinez (.305/20/80) and Designated Hitter Travis Hafner (.305/33/108) to continue to improve on their already impressive numbers, possibly leading the team to a postseason birth.
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