I posted my thoughts over at Around the Horn Baseball on why the Minnesota Twins will win the AL Central in 2010. My debate partner was Matt Wallace, who writes for Take75North, who feels the Detroit Tigers will win the division this year. Be sure to check out the full debate, but here's my stance.

The MINNESOTA TWINS will win the American League Central

By Andrew Kneeland, Twins Target:

The AL Central has historically been one of the more weak, albeit competitive, divisions in baseball. The division winner has averaged just 93 wins per season, and the last 100-game winner to come out of the AL Central was the Cleveland Indians, back in 1995.

In 2009, the AL Central outpaced their NL Central counterparts by scoring an average of 76.4 wins per team. The NL Central averaged 76, which was the lowest mark in baseball. The AL West averaged 86 wins per team, which led baseball.

Regardless of the strength of its inhabitants, though, the AL Central will send no fewer than one team to the postseason in 2010. Judging from past seasons, this six-month long struggle will be a dogfight to the end. Here are five reasons why the Minnesota Twins will win the AL Central:

Click here to read five (or six!) reasons why the Twins will win the AL Central.

This article was originally published at TwinsMVB.com.

The 2010 Detroit Tigers are an odd blend of veterans and rookies. Plenty of young players will get their chance in the spotlight this year. Here are some of the more notable rookies that the Twins will need to keep their eyes on this season:

Austin Jackson, CF, 23 years old

Jackson was the key part of the trade that sent Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees this offseason. Although he hasn’t garnered any major-league experience yet, he should receive significant time in center field for the Tigers in 2010. He may even be their primary lead-off hitter.

Originally an 8th-round selection of the Yankees in the 2005 draft, Jackson began his career as an 18-year old in the GCL. He hit .304/.374/.405 in forty games. Jackson spent 2006 in the Sally league, where he hit .260/.340/.346 while striking out 151 times. He did steal 37 bases, but his lack of power and patience was concerning.

The next year, 2007, saw an improved walk rate and a .120-point jump in slugging percentage. Tallying 13 home runs across three levels, Jackson stole 33 bases and raised his on-base percentage to an impressive .370. He showed the promise of a lead-off hitter with some pop in his bat.

Jackson spent the entirety of 2008 in Double-A, where he regressed in just about every area. Spending last season in Triple-A, Jackson hit .300/.354/.405 with a horrible strikeout rate.

Although he isn’t an “elite” prospect, Jackson still provides excellent athleticism, above-average arm strength, and great defensive ability at a key position. His PECOTA projection for 2010 is .271/.332/.411 with 18 stolen bases and lots of strikeouts. Sort of like Carlos Gomez, except with the ability to make contact at an acceptable clip.

The Twins should be aware that a lot of their hits to the gap this season will be caught by Jackson, who was recruited by Georgia Tech as a point guard. For Minnesota pitchers, though, retiring Jackson should require little more than painting the corners and hoping Jackson’s trigger-happy swing fails to make contact.

Due to Jackson’s speed, though, if the ball is put in play, all bets are off.

Click here to read about four more Detroit rookies!

Dwthegreat blogs over at Twins-Keys, and can be found on Twitter @DwTheGreat. Be sure to check out his work when you get the chance! Today, he provides us with his take on the contingency plans should closer Joe Nathan be injured for an extended period of time. Enjoy!

It took just two batters, around twenty pitches, to unravel Twins' closer Joe Nathan. Yes, the 35-year-old's elbow is finally starting to show its age. After a phenomenal 2009 season -- in which he saved a club record of forty-seven games -- Nathan had surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow. The question now remains: Who should be the closer if Nathan's injury lingers? There are four in this running: Jon Rauch, Jesse Crain, Pat Neshek, and Matt Guerrier. I will explain in the following paragraphs why none of the above fits the criteria for a good closer and who on the team does.

The most logical of the choice would be Jon Rauch. Rauch, 6'11'' (tallest player in the history of the major leagues), is the only one on this list who has had closing experience. Rauch saved a total of twenty-two games while blowing six games. His 78 saves percentage isn't bad, but it isn't good, either.

Now let's look at Jesse Crain. The main reason Crain is this mix is because he drafted him. Crain has had his struggles, which he has battled through. Crain is one of those guys that had and still has a lot of potential but hasn't panned out as of yet. He is a great guy for short relief or even setup, but not closer material.

The most intriguing of these options is Pat Neshek. This side-armed hurler has been the one of the most consistent guys you will find. He would fit perfectly into the closing role. The problem with this, though, is that Neshek has been plagued with injuries. Neshek will likely start the year down in either Ft. Myers A or extended spring training, due to the weather factor. By the time Pat is ready, Nathan would most likely be ready to give it another try.

Our last option being considered is Matt Guerrier. Just like Crain, Matt is perfect for a short relief or setup roll. Matt is the most consistent guy you can find. He sports a good ERA and feels very comfortable using his curveball. Matt doesn't like to over-power people with his stuff, which is his downfall. In a closer, you would like to see someone with power.

I think the player best suited for the closer role is Francisco Liriano, who is currently in the rotation. When Liriano first came up, he thrived, posting a 12-3 record and a 2.13 ERA. Since then, his career has been injury plagued and disappointing. Liriano has proven that he is better fit for the bullpen. Take a look at this stat: In his first fifteen pitches, Liriano's opponents bat .203. That is a tremendous number! The rotation has depth, the bullpen needs a closer, all Minnesota needs is a championship.

Again, be sure to check out Dwthegreat both at his blog, and on Twitter.

As the most competitive division in baseball, you can't help but feel for the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays. Anywhere else, they would have enjoyed their fair share of success. Stuck behind the deep pockets of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, though, they have mostly failed to see anything but the basement of the division.

For eight of the past ten years, the Yankees and Red Sox have finished 1st and 2nd in the AL East. The Rays shocked the baseball world in 2008 when they won the division, while the Blue Jays managed a 2nd-place finish in 2006.

This division is extremely competitive. As an outsider, watching the two powerhouses of baseball fight for the top position in the AL East is sometimes humorous. When one of the teams makes a major acquisition, the other feels compelled to do the same. The Yankees brought on CC Sabathia, so the Red Sox added John Lackey. New York added Curtis Granderson, so Boston signs Mike Cameron a few days later.

While the top two teams battle for the division crown, with the losing team likely getting the Wild Card berth, the three other teams silently dream of greener pastures while plotting their two- or three-year runs during which they can take down the dreaded top-dogs of the AL East.

The AL East will bring more of the same in 2010: Two teams on top, while the three others battle for scraps and future positioning. Here is how I think the AL East will play out in 2010:

Click here to read the rest!

If you get the chance, be sure to check out C70 At The Bat. Seth Stohs, Parker Hageman, and myself answered some questions about the Twins. There was no collaboration between us three (at least, not from me), but a few our responses read like a broken record.

Below are my responses, but be sure to check out C70's blog for the full transcript.

Click here to read the rest!

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The Kansas City Royals have one excellent starting pitcher, a very solid first baseman, and a lights-out closer. That’s about it.

Maybe that’s not entirely fair. The Royals could have a fairly strong starting rotation, and David DeJesus could be an adequate No. 2 hitter. Outside of those aspects, though, the Royals will need a lot of help if they envision competing in 2010.

Judging from their minor-league organization, that help isn’t going to come from within. The Royals have their fair share of top prospects, but almost every one of them is stuck is the lower levels. Here are a few players who could contribute to the Big League squad in 2010:

Click here to read the rest!

Historically, the NL West has been an extremely competitive division. Although there was a 25-game difference between the first- and late-place teams in the NL West this past season, each team in the division has had some degree of success in the past.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have enjoyed the greatest amount of success in the NL West this past decade, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants are right behind them. The San Diego Padres have won two division titles since 2000, the same total as the Giants. Both the Dodgers and D-Backs have three crowns, while the closest the Colorado Rockies have come is 2nd place.

Here is how I see the NL West playing out in 2010:

Click here to read the rest!

The Twins’ scouting department had a down year in 2003, drafting just three players who eventually reached the Big Leagues. Of those three, just Scott Baker is putting together a solid career. Here are the more notable picks in the 2003 draft.

1st Round (21st overall) – Matthew Moses, 3B

Never known as an elite defensive player, the Twins knew that Moses’ bat would carry him to the major leagues, where he would hopefully take over at third base. Minnesota hadn’t enjoyed a consistent third baseman since Corey Koskie left, and they felt that Moses could eventually compete for the job. Outside of his bat, Moses was a very average player.

He wasn’t the best defensively, was a poor base-runner, and didn’t have the strongest arm. In his first 18 games in the Gulf Coast League, though, Moses managed to hit .385/.417/.492. A physical in 2003 revealed that Moses had a small hole in his heart that a 20-minute operation fixed.

Whether or not this had anything to do with his decline can’t be known for sure, but in 2004 Moses hit .223/.304/.366 in Quad Cities (Low A). In half a season in Fort Myers in 2005 Moses hit .306/.376/.453, but as soon as he was promoted to New Britain he fell apart again.

Moses spent the entire 2006 season with the Rock Cats, where he hit .249/.303/.386. He bounced between New Britain and Rochester in 2007, but returned to the Rock Cats in 2008. Last year was again spent with the Rock Cats, where Moses hit .224/.274/.353. Sadly, Moses has been awarded the “bust” label, and there is little hope that he will ever develop into what the Twins envisioned.

2nd Round (58th overall) – Scott Baker, RHP

The one saving grace of the 2003 draft, Baker flew through the minor leagues. Just over a year after he was drafted, in 2004, Baker was mowing down batters in Triple-A Rochester. In 2005 he reached the Twins and posted a 3.35 ERA in just over 50 innings. From that point forward, Baker has enjoyed a very successful major-league career.

This year, Baker is considered Minnesota’s ace, though he would be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starting pitcher most other places. Over the course of his career, Baker has amassed an ERA of 4.27 in 653 innings and 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

4th Round (118th overall) – David Shinskie, RHP

Shinskie was selected out of Mt. Carmel High School in the fourth round in 2003, despite having received football scholarship offers from BSC schools. He stumbled around the minor leagues for about six years before retiring his glove and attempting to re-start his football career last year.

At 25-years old, Shinskie received a scholarship from Boston College and an offer to compete for their quarterback position. Shinksie was a four-year starter at quarterback at Mr. Carmel High School, and he won two state championships. In 2009, Shinskie threw for 2,049 yards and 15 touchdowns as he led the Eagles to an 8-4 record. They lost to USC in the Emerald Bowl.

14th Round (418th overall) – Levale Speigner, RHP

This pick is probably only notable because after Washington stole Speigner from us in the 2006 Rule V draft he went on to shut us down in 2007. Against Johan Santana on June 9, 2007, Speigner went six innings giving up just one run on two hits. He compiled a season ERA of 8.78, but he dominated the team he was drafted by.

(Note – as the 2004 draft involves several players who are still progressing through the Minnesota organization, I will stop my draft evaluation series here. But be sure to stick around here throughout the season for all the Twins' content you can handle!)

Historically, the National League Central has been filled with some of the best and worst teams in baseball.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros have been the two most consistent teams in the division this past decade, with the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers always in the mix. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates have had very little success, though the Reds have managed two 3rd-place finishes this decade.

The past few years, though, the division title has been fought over by the Cardinals, Cubs, and Brewers, with St. Louis managing six titles in the past ten years, with three others going to the Cubs, and one to the Astros. This year, Houston is a mess, but the Brewers and Cubs appear ready for a fight.

Here's how I see the NL Central playing out in 2010.

Click here to read the rest!

Not too many years ago, the National League East was one of the more competitive leagues in baseball. For the past decade, the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and New York Mets have battled for the top position, with the Florida Marlins and Washington Nationals (also known as the Montreal Expos before 2005) picking up the scraps.

Philadelphia has been incredibly successful in the NL East since 2001, and have been in the thick of things just about every year. The Braves dominated the early Aughties, with division crowns from 2000-2005. New York has had ups and downs this decade, with the future looking mostly sour. Florida has remained competitive for most of the decade, but hasn't been able to claim a division title. The Expos/Nationals have been mostly comatose these last ten years.

The past three NL East titles have been awarded to the Phillies, who won the World Series in 2008 and still boast a very strong team. Atlanta has suffered ever since the ill-advised Mark Teixeira trade that sent Neftali Feliz, Elvis Andrus, and two others to the Texas Rangers. Florida and Washington are on the rise, while the Mets seem destined once again to a sub-.500 season plagued with injuries. Here is how I see the 2010 season playing out in the NL East.

Click here to see how the NL East will play out in 2010!