Kansas City Royals Top Five Starting Pitchers

Mandatory Credit: Tannen Maury/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

Last week, we finished our tour of the top five greatest members of the Kansas City Royals offensive players. It was certainly an eye opening look back into the past, present and even the future of the Royals, highlighting players who may have drifted back into the shadows of time and bringing them back to the forefront.

Now, it is time to look at the pitching staff. This week, we will look at the five greatest starting pitchers in Kansas City Royals history. As the modern starting rotation is based on five starters, this will give an idea as to what the all time Royals rotation would look like.

Of course, such a rotation would likely be based on plucking a starter based on their best season. However, if one wants to look at the the collective production from the starters on the Royals, this list will highlight the five best in team history. We can certainly review the five greatest seasons in Kansas City Royals history in the coming weeks.

As per the previous treks back through team history, the Fangraphs.com Wins Above Replacement category was used as a guide in determining the list. Yet, it is just that – a guide – when it came to compiling the top five starting pitchers for the Royals.

And so, with that preamble, we begin our look through the Kansas City Royals pitching staff. Let us know if you feel someone should be ranked higher, or if there is someone that you feel should be listed and was left off.

Next: A lifelong member of the Royals