Minnesota Twins: Breaking Down the 2022 AL Central Rivals-Cleveland

Minnesota Twins: AL Central Rival 2022 Predictions

Cleveland’s season could go in one of three directions. The first one is success, but it takes A LOT to go right. If Shane Bieber wins the Cy Young and the other four starters post sub-4.00 ERAs, the rest of the bullpen improves, the young lineup additions take hold, the team can make it to 90 wins. That seems unlikely.

The worst case situation is Bieber and Ramirez gets hurt, the young players are un-impressive, and the bullpen is a disaster, causing the team to lose 90 games. Ramirez, Reyes, and Plesac are traded, and a long rebuild begins. In reality, the third situation is the most likely.

The rotation carries the surprisingly solid lineup to a win total from 75-80 wins, the team finishes third in the division, and their team actually retools instead of rebuilding. DiMatteo agrees on these outcomes:

"The best-case scenario is that the Guardians shock the world and compete for a playoff spot and possibly even make the postseason riding a truly excellent rotation that stays healthy. Worst-case scenario is injuries and another lackluster offense completely doom the season and, should he not be extended, Jose Ramirez gets traded at the deadline. My prediction is somewhere in-between, probably around another 80-85 wins."

Similar to Kansas City, Cleveland has several different outcomes for this season, and will be interesting to see how things shake out.