Kansas City Royals Survivor: The Rotation Edition

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Duffy

#DuffSwag activate. Duffy just pitched arguably his best game of his career on Sunday when he tossed eight innings giving up one run and striking out four. He did exactly what needed to be done with a thin bullpen to win the series clincher to bury a division foe in the first weekend post all-star break. That performance may have assured Duffy of a spot in the rotation, especially considering that he might have been on the bubble prior to yesterday’s outing.

As strange as it may seem, Duffy and Ventura are, at least to some degree, in a position to be removed from the rotation. If this was truly the case, then Duffy picked the perfect time to have his best start of the season. His overall numbers, a 4-4 record with a 4.24 ERA in 13 starts, may not be impressive, but he still has quite a bit of untapped potential.

Like Ventura, Duffy was expected to be much better than he has been this season. As such, his spot in the rotation cannot be considered entirely safe. Yet, Duffy is still a young lefty who has had his moments of dominance and still has quite the high ceiling. The Royals rotation needs both pitchers to be close to what they were last season if they want to make a deep run in October.

Next: The crafty veteran