MLB Betting: Which AL Central Team Will Rise to the Top?

Of all divisions in Major League Baseball, the AL Central is likely the weakest bunch in 2023.

With heavy polarity compared the AL East, there is not a single team in the AL Central that is above .500 at the All-Star break. The Cleveland Guardians currently lead the way at 45-45.

Still, it has been the Minnesota Twins atop the division for majority of 2023. At just a half-game down in the AL Central standings right now, Minnesota remains the divisional market favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The bottom of the AL "ain't worth two Cent-ral" is a trio of struggling sides: the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Kansas City Royals. At this point in the year, I would not expect a real challenge for the divisional flag from any of those three teams.

However, the AL Central has something in common with the AL East. They are the only two groupings in baseball that have seen all five of its member teams win the division at least once over the past 10 seasons.

Let's have a look through the standings at the All-Star break with a mind on the AL Central division odds futures market.

All MLB odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. All advanced stats come from FanGraphs.

1. Cleveland Guardians (+145)

Cleveland has not played exceptionally well in 2023, but they currently find themselves as king of the hill in the AL Central.

Their best month of the season so far has been the nine games played in July, going 6-3 leading into the break. That leaves the Guardians at exactly .500 with 72 contests left to play.

This year, the Guardians are again led by switch-hitting Jose Ramirez plus the slashing left-handed bats of Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan. Naylor is one of only a dozen eligible major league batters currently hitting at least (.305), and Ramirez is boasting an OPS of .870 to pace the club.

Over Cleveland's past 12 games, they have increased their offensive output to 5.08 runs per game, going 7-5 in the process. Honestly, that rate just might be proficient enough to take the AL Central in 2023.

Heading into the second half, the Guardians hold a half-game division lead while also yielding plus-money odds (+145) to win the 2023 AL Central crown.

2. Minnesota Twins (-185)

Off the bat, Minnesota is the lone side in their division with a positive run differential (+27). Compare that to the Boston Red Sox, who show the exact same number (+27) in the category -- except the Bo-Sox are in last place of the AL East. Parody can be cruel.

Currently just a half-game behind Cleveland, the Twins had an abysmal May and June (24-30 combined record) to allow the Guardians to overtake them in July. Regardless, the oddsmakers are currently siding with Minnesota (-185) in the AL Central odds market.

At .709, the Twins have the 22nd-best team OPS in baseball, which is nothing special. Still, it is the top mark in the division right now. On a better note, Minnesota does show five players with at least 10 home runs at the break, including Byron Buxton (15), Joey Gallo (15), and Carlos Correa (11).

Minnesota has been led by hurler Sonny Gray in 2023. Through 99.2 innings pitched, he currently has a top-10 ERA at 2.89. Gray has also been stingy allowing the long ball, surrendering just 0.27 home runs per nine innings (HR/9). That is a personal-best clip for the 10-year veteran.

3. Detroit Tigers (+3900)

The best sporting action out of Motor City in the coming months will likely come from the playoff-hopeful Detroit Lions rather than the struggling Tigers.

At the All-Star break, Detroit has scored the third-least runs in baseball (346) this season. Combine that with their 4.47 team ERA, and it is simple to see that the Tigers still have plenty of improvements to make.

4. Chicago White Sox (+2500)

The Chi-Sox have been even worse than the Tigers this year, but shops have Chicago listed considerably shorter (+2500) in the AL Central winner market. This is likely due to the White Sox being a better offensive team (outputting 4.15 runs per contest in 2023) compared to Detroit while also showcasing more talented hitters such as Luis Robert, Andrew Vaughn, Tim Anderson, and Jake Burger.

In early April, Anderson missed nearly a month with a left knee issue. That coincided with Chicago's season-high losing streak of 10 games.

The South Siders have not led the division at all this year, but if they can string together more consistent pitching performances (Chicago has issued the second most walks in baseball on the current campaign), they have an outside chance at the AL Central crown.

5. Kansas City Royals (+25000)

There's nothing to see here.

Like the Oakland Athletics and Washington Nationals, K.C. will likely fall off the divisional odds board sooner than later.

They're likely racing the Colorado Rockies to be the third team to be effectively eliminated from the postseason.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.