Royals' Dominant Starting Rotation Was 'Biggest Shocker' Of 2024, Report Says
There's more than enough credit to go around for the Kansas City Royals' remarkable turnaround.
With one more win or one more loss by the Minnesota Twins, the Royals will lock up a playoff berth that few outside the Kansas City clubhouse saw coming. A year after finishing with the second-worst record in Major League Baseball, the Royals have a chance to shock the world in October.
It's easy to single out superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who will likely finish second in American League Most Valuable Player voting. There's also veteran catcher and captain Salvador Perez, who continues to rake as he nears his mid-30s.
However, nothing has boosted the Royals in 2024 quite like their starting rotation. On Friday, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named the "biggest shocker" for each MLB team in 2024, and the rotation's success was his pick for Kansas City.
"There really isn't a better explanation for how the Royals have gone from 106-game losers in 2023 to the doorstep of the playoffs in 2024," Rymer said.
"Their rotation's ERA has gone from 5.23 all the way down to 3.57, and not merely because of newcomers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. Cole Ragans' breakout is ongoing, and Brady Singer's return to form is one of the more under-covered stories of the season."
The "biggest shocker" moniker applies to the Royals because of the variety of ways in which their starting rotation has succeeded. All four starters named above have been unlikely success stories, and all for completely different reasons.
Lugo became a full-time starter for the first time at age 33, then made his first All-Star team this year at 34. The Royals' other All-Star, Ragans, had two Tommy John surgeries before becoming an established major-leaguer.
Meanwhile, Wacha once looked finished in Tampa Bay before reviving his career in Boston. And Singer, a former top prospect, went through all sorts of struggles before finally establishing himself as a true force this year.
Four pitchers, four different stories, and four arms opposing hitters won't be eager to face this October. With the collective strength of their starting rotation powering them, the Royals could make some unexpected noise in the American League playoffs.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org