Kansas City Royals Top Five Relief Pitchers

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

5. Joakim Soria (2007-2012, 8.6 WAR)

When one looks at the best picks in the Rule V Draft over the past twenty years, Johan Santana is considered to be the gold standard, and with good reason. However, the Kansas City Royals may have made the second best selection in the Rule V Draft over that time frame when they plucked Jaokim Soria from the Padres system.

For that $50,000 payment, the Royals received a pitcher who became their closer during his rookie campaign. He went on to finish seventh in the Rookie of the Year award that season, and in subsequent years, solidified his place as a dominant closer. He would go on to earn two All-Star nominations and made an appearance on the Cy Young and MVP ballots in 2010.

His career with the Royals was quite good, as Soria saved 160 games with a 2.40 ERA and a 1.043 WHiP during his five seasons with the Royals. Considering he missed the 2012 season due to Tommy John surgery, it would be interesting to see what the course of the Royals bullpen would have been if he remained healthy. However, since Soria had his worst season in 2011, posting a 4.03 ERA and a 1.276 WHiP, he may not retained that closer spot for long.

Joakim Soria was, for most of his career with the Kansas City Royals, one of the few bright spots on the team. It is unfortunate that his time with the Royals ended at the moment the team took that step from being on the cusp to being a contending ballclub.

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