The AL Central may be one of the most unbalanced divisions in all of baseball. At the top of the division is a perennial World Series contender. At the bottom of the division are a handful of teams that are on the verge of rebuilding, or are in the midst of a rebuild and remain a year or two away. Then, there's the Kansas City Royals, who have been all over the map this offseason.

Here are my 2018 AL Central power rankings.

5. Detroit Tigers

The strongest team in the AL Central for a decade has been gutted. Justin Verlander, one of the great aces in team history, is with the World Series champs now.

Ian Kinsler was shipped off to the Los Angeles Angels in a trade. The future of the team will be spread out among regional farms, aka the minor leagues. The team still has Miguel Cabrera, but he's quickly becoming a shell of his former self. Good thing he's under contract for another six years.

4. Chicago White Sox

Their time will come - eventually. Not this year, though. This year will be entirely about developing the young players who will lead the team into the future. That means learning more about Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, and Eloy Jimenez in the lineup. Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez will also get extended looks at the big league level. In just a few years, the AL Central will have a dynasty on their hands.

3. Kansas City Royals

Just when it seemed like the Royals were going in full rebuild mode - just three years after a World Series crown - they pulled back. They brought in Lucas Duda and waited until Mike Moustakas' value was crushed before re-signing him as well. The rotation and bullpen remain shallow, though, with Danny Duffy serving as the team's top starter.

Odds of them winning just their second AL Central crown are slim.

2. Minnesota Twins

The Twins are like the White Sox, except on an accelerated timeline. They managed to make the AL Wild Card Game last year, seemingly out of nowhere. Minnesota beefed up their pitching staff with Jake Odorizzi and Lance Lynn. The key to making the postseason ahead of schedule again, however, will be Byron Buxton.

If his improved hitting acumen during the second half of the year is sustainable, the Twins will put a scare into the top AL Central team.

1. Cleveland Indians

The AL Central is arguably the easiest division to predict a winner for. The Indians have dominated the division for the past few years and arguably improved in replacing Carlos Santana with Yonder Alonso at first base. There will be a sense of urgency within this organization, though. Core players including Michael Brantley, Cody Allen, and Andrew Miller are all nearing free agency.
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