Winning a division is simple.
On paper.
If it was just on paper, the Detroit Tigers could hoist their third consecutive American League Central Division Championship trophy right now.
But that’s why they play 162 games over seven grueling months, and fight so hard to be successful.
Every team needs a blueprint to carving out their championship plan, and the Tigers have been pretty good at following their own blueprint the last two seasons.
In 2013, the Tigers blueprint will be very similar to the ones that won them the AL Central each of the last two years.
The Tigers need their stars to be stars. They need to win in the division, especially against the top-tier teams. They need to have dominant starting pitching, and they need a closer to step up.
Here is my breakdown of the Tigers’ blueprint to win the AL Central in 2013.