KC Royals: How the Starting Rotation Stacks Up

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Manager Ned Yost and the KC Royals revealed their World Series pitching rotation today and it will be as follows: Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Yordano Ventura and Chris Young.

During the regular season, the Royals pitching was anything but stellar, and after the pickup of Johnny Cueto at the deadline, the fate of the starting rotation was in serious question. Cueto was solid in his first four starts with the Royals, but soon went downhill and plummeted towards the end of the season. While Cueto struggled, Ventura emerged as the “ace” in the rotation while Young and Volquez carried the excess weight. While pitching was a serious problem during the regular season, Royals pitchers seem to have figured things out for the postseason.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Rumors: Is a monster move in the cards?
• KC Royals Free Agent Hunt: 3 Tampa Bay pitchers
• Grading the 2022 KC Royals: The $25 million man
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Expectations met
• KC Royals Winter Meetings Tracker: Day 3 update

While the Royals were tested against the Houston Astros and the Toronot Blue Jays, they have one final test remaining. The New York Mets have been on fire, sweeping the Chicago Cubs as Daniel Murphy and Yeonis Cespedes have been excellent this postseason. Can the Royals pitching staff handle this final challenge?

We will have an answer to that question beginning tonight. But for now, let us look at how the KC Royals stack up heading into the series.

Next: Fronting the rotation yet again

Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1: Edinson Volquez

Volquez last started in the KC Royals Game Five ALCS loss to the Blue Jays, when he gave up five runs over the span of five innings.  He had given up just three earned runs in his previous postseason starts (ALDS Game 3  and ALCS Game 1).  In his last start at Kauffman Stadium (ALCS Game 1), he tossed six innings, allowing no runs and just two hits.  Volquez will kick off the World Series, matching up against Matt Harvey of the Mets.

In his two road starts, he has allowed eight runs over 10.2 innings.  In his time with the Pirates in 2014, the Mets hit .267 off of Eddie in just two games against him; he allowed just two runs in that span.  Mets’ infielder David Wright has had 17 career plate appearance against Volquez; he is 2-13 with 3 walks and a strikeout.   Mets outfielder Curtis Grandson is 0-9 career against Volquez with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.  Former Detroit Tiger Yoenis Cespedes has just three plate appearances this season against Volquez; he went 1-3.

Volquez has earned the right to start Game 1 at the K; in his ALCS Game 1 start, he was huge for the Royals and led them to an early series lead that held throughout the time in Toronto.  An early series lead will be important for KC this time as the Mets have lost just one postseason game at Citi Field this season and will look to jump to an early series lead.

“Steady Eddie” sports four knockout pitches; he throws a low to mid-90s fastball, a two seam fastball with cutting action that can also come in 90+ as well as a mid 80s changeup and mid 70s curveball.  He has always struggled with command of his pitches and has lately relied on the veolcity to squeak by hitters.  The Mets will look to pounce on any opportunity to knock one out of the park, so Volquez will need to make sure he has “grade A” command of his pitches on Tuesday.

Looking at his postseason consistency and his opponents, Volquez will be likely be lights out in game one.

Next: The Royals imported ace

Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2: Johnny Cueto

Johnny Cueto has been shaky, but has come up clutch at the K and in key moments.  When KC Royals GM Dayton Moore picked up Cueto in a blockbuster deadline trade, he did not foresee the tragedy that would follow. Cueto performed well at first, but has since fallen flat and with an exception of one game, has been nothing but a nuisance for the Royals. In his last postseason start at the K (which happened to be the ALDS deciding game five), Cueto tossed eight complete innings and allowed just two runs on two hits. He got beaten up on game three of the ALCS when he was tagged for eight runs while only recording six outs. The last time Johnny Cueto walked off of a baseball field, he looked to the sky and embraced the sarcastic chants of his name raining down on him from the fans at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Manager Ned Yost has faith in Cueto, saying that he will “fix some things up and will be sharp the next time he pitches.”  Yost made the decision to start Cueto at Kauffman Stadium in game two instead of in game three on the road because of the crowd energy that would allow Cueto to feel more at home and less stressed.

Regarding the Mets, they had 25 total plate appearances in one game against him this year; they posted a whopping 2-25 with 3 walks and 6 strikeouts. Of course, the Cueto with the Royals is a lot different than the Cueto with the Reds, but he was good against the Mets in the regular season and the Royals hope that it will carry over into game two. Cueto will attempt to out-duel the red-hot Jacob deGrom in game two.

Cueto has been a giant question mark all year with the KC Royals, he will need to come up big in what will be his final hurrah before free agency.

Next: He's been a different pitcher over the past couple of months

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3: Yordano Ventura

Yordano Ventura has emerged as the go-to starter for the KC Royals this postseason.  In Ventura’s first three postseason starts this year, he allowed three runs over a course of 12.1 total innings. In his most recent start (ALCS Game 6), he tossed 5.1 innings and allowed just one run on four hits to out-duel the Blue Jays’ David Price and lock down the pennant for Kansas City.

Ventura’s fastball command has been spot on in his last two starts while his sharp curveball serves as his go-to two-strike pitch.  Over the span of his 17.2 innings pitched this postseason, he has punched out 21 batters while walking 8.  Not much more needs to be said about Ventura other than he has been clutch for the Royals this postseason despite his 4.08 ERA.

He will face off against Noah Syndergaard in Game Three of the series, the first game at Citi Field in New York.  “Ace” Ventura has never pitched at Citi Field, but there’s a first time for everything, right?  So why not in game three of the World Series?

Ventura has already out-dueled Blue Jay ace David Price twice and the confidence fueled by that and his recent postseason success will drive Ventura to win game three.  The Royals will be just fine with Ventura on the mound in Game Three.

Next: The gentle giant