The online betting for Major League Baseball has not started yet, but the odds are out for how the AL Central will stack up. The Minnesota Twins are +130, the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers are both +240, the Cleveland Indians are +1400 and the Kansas City Royals are +1600.

The bookmaker reviews and the numbers look pretty accurate for the coming season. In the midst of March madness betting baseball fans need to remember that the Minnesota Twins are christening a new outdoor ballpark this season. The old "homer dome" was a disaster for Minnesota pitching. In 2009 the Twins finished with a team ERA of 4.50 and still found a way to win the division.

The Twins were the least impressive of the playoff teams last season, and what they lacked is hitting power. The Twins only hit 172 home runs in 2009, and when you play in a stadium known for giving up home runs you should be eclipsing 200 with no problem. By way of comparison, the Boston Red Sox hit 184 homers in 2009 and that included dealing with the "Green Monster."

The Twins win the AL Central division because the rest of the division is very weak. The real competition for the Twins will come from the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are four years removed from a World Series championship and they have moved their roster around since then.

The White Sox offer up a starting pitching rotation that includes Mark Buehrle and Jake Peavy. The problem is that the White Sox' rotation drops off after that, and they do not have the offense to back it up. Designated hitter Andruw Jones is only 32 years old and should be a 500 home run hitter within the next three to four years. But the White Sox offer up almost nothing else in the way of an offensive threat after Jones. They cannot steal bases, they cannot hit for power and they do not hit for average very well at all.

The Detroit Tigers are rebuilding. They will remain competitive this season thanks to some young arms on the mound and leadership from guys like the newly acquired Johnny Damon. But they are definitely a team in flux, and the only thing the Tigers can do for the next couple of seasons is hope that they have the right coaching staff in place to create a winner out of this very young team.

The Cleveland Indians were a department store for a couple of years selling off quality items such as pitchers CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. That leaves nothing on the mound for the Indians. Their team ERA in 2009, even with Lee on the roster, was 5.06. They cannot hit for power, and their bullpen let them down all season.

The Royals are a mess because they cannot afford to bring in quality players. They are trying to use the philosophy employed by the Tampa Bay Rays where they build a winner on quality low-priced players, but the Royals cannot seem to scout the talent they need to win. It will be another long season in Kansas City.

The projected finish in the AL Central is:

1 - Minnesota Twins

2 - Chicago White Sox

3 - Detroit Tigers

4 - Cleveland Indians

5 - Kansas City Royals

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