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.

5. Dennis Leonard

First off, we have Dennis Leonard.

Dennis Leonard takes the fifth spot on our list. Leonard was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2nd round of the 1972 MLB Draft. He remained in Kansas City and played his entire career with the Royals. Though the latter part of his career was riddled with injuries which caused him to retire, Dennis Leonard proved himself as a big part of the Royals pitching staff from the very beginning of his career, boasting a 15-7 record in his first full year as a starter.

He went on to have three 20 win seasons in his time with Kansas City, becoming the only member of the Royals to do so. Plus, Dennis Leonard was also the AL wins leader in ’77. Leonard only had two seasons in his career where he finished with a losing record (1974 and 1986). He also led the league in shutouts in the 1979 season with five.

Leonard was never named to an All-Star team, but he did finish 4th for the Cy-Young in 1977 and 7th in 1978. Leonard retired after the 1986 season due to injuries and he was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1989.

On the list of top five pitchers in Kansas City Royals history, Dennis Leonard falls in the five spot. The right hander out of Iona College in New Rochelle, New York yielded a career ERA of 3.70, pitching a total of 2187.0 innings throughout his 12 year career with the Kansas City Royals. In addition, his name remains on several top ten lists within the Royals organization.

Rankings in Royals Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders:

1st: Complete Games, Shutouts

2nd: Wins

3rd: Innings Pitched, Strikeouts, Starts, Batters Faced

5th: WAR for pitchers

6th: Win/Loss  %

7th: Games Played

8th: BB/9

9th: WHIP

4. Mark Gubicza

Following Dennis Leonard is Mark Gubicza in the fourth slot.

Mark Gubicza is next on the list of top pitchers that have played for the Kansas City Royals, taking the fourth slot in history. Gubicza was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2nd round of the 1981 MLB Draft. He remained a part of the organization until 1996. Gubicza often had a high ERA, with a 3.91 ERA on his career in his time with the Royals. But, he oftentimes found a way to win, meaning he had a large number of wins under his belt despite the high ERA.

Gubicza was an All-Star in the 1988 and 1989 seasons, finishing with a career-best 20-8 record with a 2.70 ERA in ’88, also finishing 3rd in Cy Young votes, and a 15-11 with an ERA of 3.04 in ’89. These two seasons would be the lowest his ERA was.

Gubicza would definitely run into command issues here and there, as he leads the Royals all-time in walks, hit batters, and wild pitches.  Regardless, Gubi was reliable when needed most, especially when our pitcher that comes in at number one all time was hurt. His fastball and devastating slider would make batters just look clueless at the dish.

Gubi would later be inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2005. The right hander takes the fourth spot on our list. After beginning his Major League Baseball career out of William Penn Charter High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in April of 1984, it ended with the Anaheim Angels in 1997. He spent just one year in Anaheim after 13 years with the Kansas City Royals.

Here’s how Mark Gubicza ranks on the Royals’ top ten lists in franchise history.

Rankings in Royals Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders:

2nd: Strikeouts, Games Started, Innings Pitched, Batters Faced

3rd: Shutouts, Wins, War for Pitchers

6th: Games Pitched, HR/9

7th: Complete Games

2. Dan Quisenberry

Taking the second spot on Kings of Kauffman’s list of top five pitchers in Kansas City Royals history is Dan Quisenberry.

Quiz went undrafted and signed with the Kansas City Royals in 1975. After his rookie season, Dan would later go on to be a “down under” pitcher as he would describe it, and become one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball. It’s said he developed this delivery to make up for the lack of velocity on his pitches.

Dan was different than most relief pitchers in his time, as he didn’t have stuff that would overpower the batter. His sinker and curve were his go to’s but he also threw a changeup and the occasional knuckler. His movement on pitches caused batters to flail their bats like pool noodles when facing him. He wasn’t much of a strikeout pitcher but could spot pitches on a dime.

Quiz was a three time AL All-Star, five time AL saves leader, and a five time Rolaids Relief Man of the Year winner. The only reliever to have as many relief man of the year awards in history is Mariano Rivera. Quisenberry would also finish 2nd in Cy Young voting in 1983 and ’84, and third in the voting in 1982 and ’85. The righty went on to retire in 1990, playing his final season with the San Francisco Giants.

His career ERA with the Kansas City Royals totaled 2.55. Quisenberry was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1998. As far as I’m concerned, Quiz should also be considered back into voting for the Hall of Fame, as he was one of the most dominant relief pitchers of his time.

Rankings in Royals Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders:

1st: ERA, BB/9

2nd: WHIP, Saves, Games Played, Games Finished

3rd: HR/9

6th: WAR for Pitchers

1. Bret Saberhagen

Taking the top spot, making him the greatest pitcher in Kansas City Royals history, is Bret Saberhagen.

Bret Saberhagen was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 19th round of the 1982 MLB Draft, and I’m sure that makes teams cringe at the thought of passing on him. Saberhagen is widely considered the Royals most dominating starting pitcher of all time, and his accolades do the talking.

Bret won his first Cy Young in just his second season with the Royals in 1985, finishing the regular season with a 20-6 record and a 2.87 ERA, the same year he won the World Series MVP for his dismantling of the St. Louis Cardinals. He later won his second Cy Young award in 1989, with an incredible 23-6 record and a 2.16 ERA.  He was on pace for a third in 1987, but he started to struggle and injured his shoulder later in the season. What was odd about Saberhagen’s time as a Royal was his odd year dominance and even year struggles. In odd years, he racked up a 74-30 record with a 2.85 ERA, but in even years he was 36-48 with a 3.70 ERA

Saberhagen was a three time All-Star, two of which were with the Royals, and he also led the league in wins and the AL in ERA (2.16) in the 1989 season. He also threw a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on August 26, 1991. Saberhagen’s no-hitter is also the most recent one in franchise history.

Bret’s dominance with the Royals is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, reasons for the first title in Royals history, and he will forever be remembered for his contributions for this franchise. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 2005.

Rankings in Royals Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders:

1st: WHIP

2nd: WAR for Pitchers, BB/9, K/9

4th: ERA, Strikeouts

5th: W/L%, H/9, Games Started

6th: Wins, Innings Pitched, Batters Faced