No matter how good or bad a player performed in 2020, all arguments circled back to the season being “the COVID year.” Sure, there were certainly players who took the next step into stardom, but could these guys really do it over a full, 162-game season? If someone had a poor season in 2020, people passed it off as a “bad stretch” of 60 games. Regardless of last year, the AL Central players in this list are pivotal to their team becoming a contender.
Some are the best players, while others are lesser-known or young contributors. X-factor players are not always the stars; these are players who don’t absolutely need to perform in 2021, but their team could sure use the production.
Anybody who followed this MLB offseason knows how well the White Sox performed in their pursuit of true contention. In addition to the young, stacked hitting core, their main priority this offseason was boosting the pitching staff, most notably adding the best reliever available in Liam Hendriks. The Indians were also quite busy this offseason, but opted to trade one of the league’s best players, Francisco Lindor, along with Carlos Carrasco to the Mets for a few elite prospects. The Royals surprised a lot of people by acquiring Carlos Santana and Andrew Benintendi, among others. With all these moves they may have thrown their hat into the wildcard ring. The Tigers and Twins were quite silent this offseason, which the Twins may regret when battling with Chicago this year. The point is, unless you’re Detroit, the playoffs are very obtainable in this division.
Here are each of the AL Central team’s biggest X-factors.
Biggest X-Factors in the AL Central
Chicago White Sox
Garrett Crochet (RP)
There were many options to choose from, but Garrett Crochet taking the next step and becoming an elite arm out of the bullpen is pivotal to Chicago’s success. Having a 1-2 punch of Crochet and Hendriks is something no team will ever want to face in this division, or even in the playoffs. Crochet is a 6’6″ lefty who’s fastball scratches triple-digits with ease. If he can hone in on his off-speed pitches and practice plate control, we could be witnessing the next Aroldis Chapman. This will be Crochet’s first 162-game season, so we’ll see how many innings Chicago wants to give the young reliever.
Minnesota Twins
Josh Donaldson (3B)
Donaldson needs no introduction; he’s one of the best players of this decade, getting MVP votes in six out of the seven seasons between 2013-19. The expectation was that Donaldson would push the Twins to World Series contention in 2020, but he only mustered 28 games last year. He was quite impressive in those games, hitting six HR, 11 RBI, with a .842 OPS. If the Twins want any shot at holding down the White Sox for the division title, they need a healthy, MVP-caliber Donaldson to come through this season.
Detroit Tigers
Willi Castro (SS/3B)
They may be in a rebuild, but that won’t stop Castro from having his breakout season. He was fantastic in 2020, putting up six HR, 24 RBI, a .349 BA, and a .932 OPS. He is a base-hit machine with some sneaky power to boot. His defense at shortstop leaves much to be desired, but other stars at the position like Gleyber Torres and Tim Anderson aren’t great on defense, either. Castro can be the cornerstone of this young, hungry Tigers team led by new manager A.J. Hinch. They’re probably another season away from true playoff contention out of the AL Central, but look for Castro and other lights-out prospects to prove their worth this year.
Kansas City Royals
Bobby Witt Jr. (3B/2B)
The truth is, Witt Jr. won’t start the season for the Royals, and he may not even play this year. He’s only 20 years old, and despite his stellar Spring Training performance, he is unlikely to crack the big-league lineup in the near future. However, if injuries plague the starting roster, we could see Witt Jr. sooner than later. He’s ranked the seventh-best prospect league-wide, and #1 in the Royals organization. Witt Jr.’s success this year is more for the future; the more he rakes in minors, the sooner they can call him up. Players like Juan Soto, Adalberto Mondesi, and Rafael Devers all debuted at the young ages of 19 and 20, meaning it’s not impossible for Witt Jr. to make his big-league debut in 2021. If he does, there is a potential superstar brewing in Kansas City.
Cleveland Indians
Andrés Giménez (SS)
He wasn’t anything amazing for the Mets last season, although he did finish top-10 in Rookie of the Year voting. Giménez was one of the main pieces from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor trade, and Indians fans were unsure how Giménez would perform as the starting shortstop in Cleveland. This Spring Training has proved what the Indians saw in him; it’s almost like Lindor never left Cleveland. Giménez may not become quite the player Lindor was, but the way he churns out base hits and crushes the occasional home run is reminiscent of Lindor. The Indians run a tight payroll, so they shed a lot of salary this offseason to bring in younger, cheaper, higher-potential players. Giménez looks to be Cleveland’s next star infielder, playing alongside Jose Ramirez.
