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

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