[KChiefs1]

https://theathletic.com/2477098/2021...tseason-picks/

2021 MLB season predictions: Keith Law’s win totals for every team, plus awards and early postseason picks

• The Twins made just two moves of note this winter, re-signing Nelson Cruz and adding Andrelton Simmons. The latter could be one of the most significant signings of the year if he gets back to the player he was in 2018, prior to two injuries to the same ankle that appear to have cost him on the field and at the plate. Minnesota’s pitching staff misses a lot of bats and they’re not very groundball-oriented, so his impact might have been higher elsewhere, but a healthy Simmons on defense could do more to improve their run prevention than any pitcher the Twins were likely to sign.

• I thought this might be the year to predict a big White Sox jump into the 90-win range or more, but they had a few questions before Eloy Jiménez was lost for all or most of the season and they don’t have an easy answer for that new one. They have a high variance around that 86-win prediction, depending more than anything on how good the rotation is.

• Cleveland has really squandered an opportunity now that ownership chose to trade Francisco Lindor without using the money saved to address the gaping wound that is their current outfield. They still have one of the league’s best pitching staffs, even without Carlos Carrasco, but they were third from last in the AL in run scoring last year and will be in a race for the bottom in 2021.

• Both the Royals and the Tigers are in the “bad, but in a fun way” category, as both teams are likely to bring up a lot of prospects and to really let them play, either to start the year or by mid-June. The Royals are further along in their building process and have more interesting young hitters in their lineup already, while both have waves of starting pitching coming.

AL Central Standings:
Minnesota: 92-70
Chicago WS: 86-76
Cleveland: 81-81
Kansas City: 73-89
Detroit: 64-98