In recent years, one of the more-predictable aspects of the American League was the dominance of the Central division by the Detroit Tigers. Even in 2014, when the Kansas City Royals would up going all the way to the seventh game of the World Series, it was actually the Tigers who won the regular season crown in the Central. They have been the best team in this division for 
several years now, and are consistently one of the best teams in the American League. However, as the 2015 season gets ready to go, there is a certain level of doubt surrounding the once-dominant Tigers.
Aging Stars
One of the problems that the Tigers would seem to face in the years ahead is the age of three of their most-notable players – Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Victor Martinez. While Martinez is the oldest by a good margin, each player has seen some kind of performance drop off in recent years. Verlander struggled for the most part in 2014 after being one of the best starters in the game for many seasons. Cabrera is still a feared hitter to be sure, but his defense is a question mark, as is his health. Martinez has already had surgery in this offseason and will be questionable to be ready by opening day.
Uncertain Future on the Mound
Verlander is under contract for many more seasons, so the Tigers will simply have to hope that he returns to form. With Max Scherzer departed via free agency and David Price entering the final year of his contract, the future for the Tigers from a pitching perspective seems to be up in the air. If Verlander fails to return to most of what he was, the Tigers could be in real trouble for the next few seasons. Added to these concerns is the fact that most people rank the Tigers farm system as one of the poorest in baseball at the present time.
The Competition
As mentioned above, the Royals made the World Series from this division last year, so the Tigers will need to watch out for them in the coming season. Also, the White Sox and Indians both seem to be better positioned than they have been in recent years to make a run late into September. The Twins appear to be the only team that doesn’t have much of a chance on paper to be a contender in 2015. With stiffening competition and an aging group of star players, it could be a tough go for the Tigers in the coming season and beyond.
