Veteran Starter Could Be Key To Royals Postseason Success In 2024
The Kansas City Royals are one win away from advancing to the American League Division Series following a win in the opener of the Wild Card Series against the Baltimore Orioles.
The starting rotation is the Royals' biggest strength, and if they are going to defy the odds and win a championship, the rotation will need to carry them.
Cole Ragans dominated in Game 1 on Tuesday as the Royals beat the Orioles 1-0, and they'll have Seth Lugo starting Game 2 on Wednesday. However, Their biggest X factor may not be either of those two starters, but rather, Michael Wacha.
Prior to Tuesday, the only pitcher in the Royals rotation that had any experience starting postseason games was Wacha. The 33-year-old veteran inked a one-year, $16 million contract with the Royals last offseason.
This year, the right-hander has continued his upward trend. In 29 starts, Wacha was 13-8 during the regular season with a 3.35 ERA.
His overall postseason numbers aren't the best. He's 4-3 in eight appearances with a 5.21 ERA, but it's important to note that he has not pitched in the postseason since 2021.
Back in 2013, Wacha was a rookie and had just cracked the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation. But he emerged as their top postseason pitcher, saving them from elimination with a gem in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He beat Clayton Kershaw twice to earn NLCS MVP honors and won Game 2 of the World Series for St. Louis. He finished that postseason 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA.
Given his recent rise back to prominence, Wacha should be a tough customer this postseason. And while his success came in 2013, he still has good experience and could be a veteran that the Royals lean on this October.
We'll see if he can match that success.
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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.