Royals: Pitchers that could start 30 games in 2020

After coming back to the Kansas City Royals, Mike Montgomery hopes to prove he is supposed to be in a starting role.

Mike Montgomery (uniform number 21), not to be confused with Jeff Montgomery (uniform number 21), found his way back to the Kansas City Royals in 2019. Montgomery was originally drafted by the Royals in 2008 but was traded and made his way to a few other teams, finally coming back to Kansas City through a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

It’s a stretch to put Montgomery on this list, but there is a chance that if he can prove he deserves a spot in the rotation, he could hit the 30 game mark. Montgomery was being used as a reliever in Chicago. He had seen time as a starting pitcher in years past but typically flipped back and forth between the rotation and bullpen.

Having been vocal about wanting to start, the Royals gave him a chance. In 13 games with the Royals, he held a 4.64 ERA, went 2-7, and pitched 64 innings with 51 strikeouts. While his ERA is a bit high, he did manage to increase all of his numbers from those he carried in Chicago as a reliever.

It’s possible that Monty will find himself back in the bullpen, but with the way his numbers trend when he is in the starting role, the Royals will likely give him another shot in the rotation. If he can continue to produce, it’s entirely possible he could hit 30 starts for the Royals in 2020.

It’s likely that all of the pitchers listed will be pitching with the Royals in 2020, but for some of them, the role they play could be a different story. Depending on what the organization does during free agency will determine who gets to start, and who moves to the bullpen.