Top 10 Players in the AL Central

Baseball’s toughest division possessed three teams with 90 or more wins last season and has some of the best players the game has to offer. Here is a list of the 10 best players in the American League Central Division.

1. Johan Santana- The best pitcher in baseball in the prime of his career right now.

2. Joe Maurer- Everyone says a catcher that hits for a high average is the hardest thing to do in baseball and Maurer flirted with .400 for part of last season. If he were a 1B or DH he might actually do it. Does a great job calling games for Minnesota’s young rotation.

3. Grady Sizemore- The man Ozzie Guillen called the best player in the Central last season, Sizemore and Indians are getting a lot of preseason love by writers. SI’s esteemed baseball expert Tom Verducci has him pegged for the AL MVP

4. Justin Morneau- Morneau earned his MVP last season by slugging when it mattered most. He and Mauer hitting next to each other in the order will be scary for over a decade.

5. Jermaine Dye- Had an absolute monster season last year where he hit .315 and 45 dingers. Sox fans might expect him to slow down a little, but he was bashing the ball in spring training and will be free agent at seasons end. He reportedly is asking for a 6 year $100 million deal, similar to the one Carlos Lee received from the Astros.

6. Paul Konerko- 1/4 of the scariest 3-6 combination of hitters in baseball, Konerko saw his power dip and average increase last season. The captain will need to have another big year is the Sox are going to improve on last year’s 90 win season.

7. Gary Sheffield- Coming over from the Yankees, the addition of Shef proves the Tigers aren’t content with last season’s success. If he’s healthy, you can pencil him in for 35-45 home runs a year.

8. Joel Zumaya- Maybe the Central’s most intimidating player, Zumaya reportedly topped the radar gun at an astounding 104 mph. It’s only a matter of time before he replaces Todd Jones as the Tigers closer.

9. CC Sabathia- The Indians hefty southpaw posted a pedestrian 12-11 record in 2006, but had a stellar ERA in the 3.5 range. If the Tribe does as good as people expect, he should be a candidate for AL Cy Young.

10. Joe Crede- One of the division’s most complete players, Crede’s bat finally caught up to his glove last season. Hitting over .280 with 30 home runs, Crede built on the success he had in the 2005 playoffs.