The AL Central has been one of the most predictable divisions in all of baseball over the past three seasons. The Detroit Tigers have been the class of the five-team division, and have been the favorites to finish first for almost a half-decade.

With CY Young pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, as well as Triple Crown-winner Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers are contenders to win the World Series every year. The rest of the division has put up a fight (Cleveland Indians in 2013 and Chicago White Sox in 2012), but no team has dethroned the Tigers since the Minnesota Twins in 2010.

It’s a new year, but the Tigers still find themselves on top that division. However, the team hasn’t been as dominant like in year’s past.

Verlander owns a 4.19 ERA and a 6-5 record, prompting many to believe he has reached his peak. Cabrera is not off the start he was last year, with a .326 batting average and 11 home runs. Torii Hunter is showing signs of age, batting .268.

It’s not all bad in Detroit, though. Catcher Victor Martinez is third in the AL in batting average and OPS.

Scherzer is off to another strong start with a 7-2 record and a 3.32 ERA. The Tigers still have a full arsenal of weapons to work with, but it seems like they are more vulnerable than before.

So can another team steal the AL Central crown from Detroit? It is certainly possible. Although the Tigers are still the frontrunners, the division is as open as it has been since 2010.

At the moment, every team in the division is within five games of Detroit. The Cleveland Indians stand in second place, three games behind the Tigers.

The Indians slipped into the Wild Card game last season and are aiming for a division title. Led by Michael Brantley and a pitching staff that ranks ahead of the Tigers, the Indians have a chance to stick with the three-time champions.

Brantley is batting .298 on the year, with nine home runs and 42 RBI, leading the seventh-ranked offense in the league. The Indians offense is quite dispersed, with six different players driving in at least 20 RBI.

However, what separates the Indians of last year to this season is the emergence of Corey Kluber. Kluber is 6-3 with a 3.23 ERA, sitting fourth in the league with 99 strikeouts. With a steady offense and a definitive ace, the Indians should stick around for a while.

Then, there’s the Kansas City Royals, who surprised many last year by winning 86 games. No one is shocked, though; that they stand four games out of first place this year.

With a pitching staff lead by veterans James Shields and Jason Vargas, the Royals rank 14th in the league in ERA and have been able to stay in games as a result. Add in youngster Yordano Ventura, and the Royals have the making of one of the better rotations in baseball.

However, the Royals need offense to be able to compete with the Tigers. Currently, the Royals rank 23rd in runs, 16th in batting average and 28th in slugging percentage. That won’t cut it during the playoff race. Look for Kansas City to make a move to bolster the stagnant offense.

The Chicago White Sox may be the most exciting team in the chase for a division title, as they were a relative non-factor heading into the season. Then, rookie first baseman Jose Abreu emerged as one of the game’s best hitters, recording 17 home runs and 47 RBI so far this season.

With Abreu has ignited a White Sox offense that ranks fifth in runs and 11th in batting average. However, the White Sox stand 26th in the league in team ERA.

Staff ace Chris Sale was injured for much of May, but is back and pitching at a CY Young pace. If Sale can keep his pace up and the rest of the pitching staff can be more consistent, the White Sox could stay in the race.

The Minnesota Twins weren’t given much of a chance to compete in the AL Central this season, but find themselves just five games out of first in June. That prompted the team to sign Kendrys Morales this week in an attempt to add to the lackluster offense.

The Twins rank 21st in the league in batting average (.245) and could use Morales’ career .280 average. The team also needs its star, Joe Mauer, to step up offensively. His .264 average and two home runs won’t be good enough for a chance in the postseason.

Minnesota also owns the second-worst team ERA in the league (4.49), so the offense must be strong to negate the pitching staff. It will take a lot of luck for the Twins to beat out the other four teams, but if the pitching can improve, it can’t be ruled out.