Kansas City Royals: The Top 5 Pitchers in Royals History

With the Kansas City Royals 50th season winding down, it’s time to look back at the biggest stars that have been a part of our pitching staff throughout the years.

It’s no secret that the Kansas City Royals pitching staff has struggled this season. Throughout the years, however, the Royals have found success in acquiring pitching; whether it be drafts, free agency, or trades. That being said, every team is going to run into success with a position eventually. Some pitchers pitch better with certain teams and stadiums than others do, it’s just part of the game.

In my truly biased opinion that surely won’t anger anyone, after having been a pitcher my entire baseball career, us pitchers are the most important ones on the diamond. The pitcher controls the tempo of the game, and without a good pitching staff, you’re not going to win (don’t worry for all the catchers reading this, we got nothing but love for you guys too).

You can have a lineup full of hitters putting up runs every inning, but if your pitching can’t match your hustle, those leads will shrink until you’re scratching your head wondering what just happened (game 4 of the 2015 ALDS vs Houston ring a bell?).   As the great Bob Lemon put it, “The two most important things in life are good friends and a strong bullpen.”

Like any good thing in life, there’s always something that can complement it to make it even better. When you find that perfect combination, it makes you happier than a turkey the day after Thanksgiving. That’s what a good pitching staff and a good hitting lineup can do for any manager, team, or fan base.

Luckily, to recover from the heartbreak this season, we can always think of some of the most dominating men who have stood on the rubber at Kauffman. Let’s take a look back at some the talent that we have been gifted with throughout the years.