Royals' Ace Receives High Mark On Starting Pitcher Power Rankings
The Kansas City Royals were largely carried by Bobby Witt Jr. and an elite starting rotation last season. Those factors led to them winning 86 games and clinching the second American League Wild Card spot.
Heading into 2025, the rotation appears to be the main strength for Kansas City, as they still have Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo at the top.
Recently, Andrew Simon of MLB.com ranked the top 10 Opening Day starters. The regular season officially begins on Thursday.
Ragans is going to be the Opening Day starter for Kansas City, and Simon ranked him the 6th best.
"It was a turbulent journey for Ragans on his way to becoming an ace, one that included multiple Tommy John surgeries and a June 2023 trade from Texas to Kansas City. But now he’s arrived," Simon wrote. "In his first full season as a Major League starter, Ragans made the 2024 AL All-Star team and struck out 223 batters with a 3.14 ERA as a key piece atop the rotation of a surprising playoff team. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting, and figures to have a shot to go even higher this year."
The future is certainly bright for Ragans. In 32 starts last year, the young left-hander went 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA. He also pitched 186 1/3 innings, recorded 223 strikeouts, earned an All-Star nod and finished fourth in the Cy Young race.
Ragans came to Kansas City in the Aroldis Chapman trade in 2023. It's safe to say the deal has worked out just fine for the Royals.
More MLB: Royals' Bobby Witt Jr. Predicted For Major First-Time Accomplishment In 2025
Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.