Kansas City Royals All Time 25 Man Roster

Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Starting Pitcher – Bret Saberhagen

When looking at the all time ranks for the Kansas City Royals on the pitching side of the ledger, there are a couple of names who appear quite frequently. One of these pitchers, Bret Saberhagen, has his place in the history of the Royals carved into stone.

It is easy to remember Saberhagen for his exploits during the 1985 World Series, particularly his shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Seven of the 1985 World Series. Saberhagen’s career was far more than that year however, as he truly dominated during those odd numbered years. He made two All-Star Games, one of which came during a down season in 1990, and won two Cy Young awards during his time with the Royals.

Overall, Saberhagen produced a 110-78 record with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.134 WHiP. He may not have been much of a strikeout pitcher, with 1093 strikeouts in 1660.1 innings, but that was mitigated by his excellent control. During his time with the Royals, Saberhagen walked only 1.8 batters per nine innings, displaying the stellar command that came to be a hallmark for his career.

In an era of hard throwing pitchers who rack up strikeouts, Bret Saberhagen would not be the prototypical ace. However, it is hard to argue against his production. Saberhagen is the perfect pitcher to front the Kansas City Royals all time starting rotation.

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