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Royals Report: Danny Duffy Dominates Cardinals In 6-2 Win

By John Viril

Jun 16, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Danny Duffy (41) pitches against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Danny Duffy (41) pitches against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Danny Duffy Showed His Growing Maturity

The 27-year-old Duffy appears to be taking over the no. 1 rotation role for the KC Royals after beginning the season as a reliever. Duffy did a fabulous job recovering from giving up a two-run bomb in the first to last 8.0 innings while striking out 8. He held the Cardinals scoreless after their first inning outburst and is now regularly lasting deep into games.

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That’s the kind of thing you expect from a staff ace.

The most impressive development of Danny Duffy’s game this season has been his transformation from nibbler to pitcher that attacks the plate with 97 mph heat. Dialing up his fastball by around 2 mph as a reliever, he stuck with the approach after moving back to the rotation.

The increased velocity has allowed Duffy to stop trying to hit the black and instead make sure to get ahead in early counts. This change has allowed him to reduce the number of pitches in an inning. For example, on Monday night, Duffy needed only 101 pitches to last through eight frames.

If Duffy keeps it up, he could end up being a guy that can carry a team in the post-season. He’s not quite there yet, but he keeps taking steps in that direction and has the raw stuff to become that kind of pitcher.

Next: Whit Merrifield

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