Royals Pitchers Poised To Set Unexpected Record As Surprise 2024 Season Concludes
The Kansas City Royals pitching staff has been one of the stories of the Major League Baseball season.
After a horrific 2023 season that saw the Royals lose 106 ballgames, Kansas City is nearing a playoff berth, and much of it is thanks to their retooled starting rotation. 2023 midseason trade acquisition Cole Ragans and 2024 free-agent signees Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha have all been spectacular.
Though the bullpen has dragged down the Royals' overall team ERA to 11th place in MLB (3.89), they've helped the starters' cause in another way. It turns out that the entire Royals pitching staff are defensive savants, and they're poised to make history in the coming days.
According to Mark Simon of Sports Info Solutions, the Royals pitchers have reached 25 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) on the season, tying them with the 2008 Detroit Tigers for a single-season record since the stat was first tracked 22 years ago.
Simon credited Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney's renewed defensive philosophy for much of the staff's prowess with the gloves. The team has been implementing creative drills and competition systems in hopes of having fun while making their pitchers take more pride in their defense.
“They’ve covered first a million times, they’ve turned double plays,” Sweeney said, per Simon. “Can we make it fun?”
Simon also reports that it's not just one pitcher carrying the Royals' DRS total, but the entire staff. Six pitchers have at least three DRS, but the leader, Lugo, has only five.
There are many ways to win baseball games, and the Royals have discovered a new one in 2024. Their pitchers won't just get you out with their nasty stuff, but they'll steal baserunners from you with their gloves, as well.
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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