Kansas City Royals Awards for the 2015 Season

Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Wade Davis

Last season, Wade Davis had one of the best years of any pitcher in baseball history. From a middling starter, Davis turned into WadeBot 2.0, a devastating strike throwing cyborg who the Kansas City Royals had unleashed upon unsuspecting teams, turning their hopes of a late inning comeback into the knowledge that they were destined to fail. It may have violated the Geneva Conventions, but Davis was a weapon unlike any other.

Conventional wisdom heading into this season was that Davis would not replicate his stellar 2014 campaign. Well, it turns out that those thoughts were correct, but not in the way that one would have expected. Indeed, Davis surpassed his previous marks by posting a 0.94 ERA and a 0.787 WHiP, issuing only 20 walks while striking out 78 batters in 67.1 innings.

Davis also proved his value by stepping into the closer role during those times when Greg Holland was unavailable. In fact, even before Holland was shelved for the rest of the year, Davis had seemingly forced his way into a co-closer role, giving the Royals a 1-2 punch the likes of which any other team would be envious of.

The greatest strength for the Kansas City Royals during this run of success may be their bullpen. In having a weapon like Wade Davis, ready and capable to step in to any role in the bullpen, the Royals truly have a lethal option.

Next: The Most Improved Royal