AL Central excelling like no other division in baseball

A month does not a season make, but through April, the beleaguered AL Central is the only division in the majors with four teams over .500. In fact, none of those teams are even close to .500. 

The Cleveland Guardians started off well this season and haven't slowed down much. They are 19-10 through their first 29 games. Sitting two games back of the Guardians, the most surprising team in the division (and maybe all of baseball) is the Royals, who have gone 18-13. They have played a number of home games, racking up a 12-5 at Kauffman Stadium. 

The Detroit Tigers are 17-13 (2.5 games back) and have been outstanding on the road, logging a record of 10-4 way from the Motor City. And while the Minnesota Twins started off ice cold, the club is now 16-13 thanks to an amazing nine-game win streak to end April. The only team left out of the fun is the White Sox, who have played to a dismal and major league-worst record of 6-24.

The play of the division has seen a marked change from recent years. Last season, only the Twins won more games than they lost and even then, they only won 87. Two teams in the division lost more than 100 games – the White Sox lost 101 and the Royals an unsightly 106. 2022 was more of the same, with the Guardians the only team to win more than they lost. In 2021, again only one team was over .500, this time the White Sox. 

For the most part, it has been this season's pitching that has helped reverse the earlier trends. The Royals, Tigers and Guardians are all three in the top six in the majors in ERA. The Twins rank 15th, but are still under 4.00, at 3.92. 

The Royals and the Tigers, in particular, are getting great starting pitching. The Royals have 14 quality starts (ranked fourth) and the Tigers have 13. Surprisingly, the Guardians only have five. 

The Guardians are the best at getting on base with an on-base percentage of .321. which only ranks ninth in the big leagues. The Royals have the most home runs in the division (yes, the Royals) with 32, but that only ranks 12th overall. 

Defensively, the Royals stand out, leading the majors in defensive runs saved with 27. The Guardians and Tigers are also both in the top eight of the metric. This is a good sign, because defense is probably the most sustainable for teams throughout the season. 

All four of these winning teams have their weaknesses, but all have enough positives to feel good about continuing to compete in the division and for wild-card spots. Chances are, at least one will probably fall to the wayside as the season progresses, but that still leaves a competition to win the division, something that has been missing for several years. This division isn't the joke it has been in recent seasons and that should make for some fun baseball through the rest of the season.