Royals Predictions From The Kings Of Kauffman Staff

Strikeouts

Mike – Yordano Ventura

There’s no one on the starting staff who possess strikeout stuff like him.

Consistency is the big question for him.

David – Yordano Ventura

His pure stuff is electric, and his secondary pitches are improving.

It’s time.

John – Yordano Ventura

One big reason for his improvement in the final two months is that he lost his reluctance to throw inside after inciting multiple brawls early last season.

The result was the best K rate of his career. His off speed pitches have steadily improved.

Ryan – Ian Kennedy

Easy one here. Kennedy would have led the Royals in K/9 and SO% in 2015 and has struck out at least 180 in three seasons. Edinson Volquez is the only other Royals pitcher who has done that once, back in 2008.

Ian Kennedy has some upside, but we all know that he’s going to do two things: eat innings and strike people out. He might conform to the Royals contact philosophy a little bit in 2016, but I wouldn’t expect any drastic changes.

Fans – Yordano Ventura

This was one of our bigger blowouts, which was pretty surprising, considering his competition.

Next: Which Royal will win the 2016 Royals Player of the Year?