KC Royals’ Lynch and Kowar close to making MLB roster

KC Royals executives are confident in the championship rotation they are building and are unusually blunt on the readiness of young arms.

Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star had a great article on Friday which not only showed management’s belief in the young stars but hinted we could see more of them very soon. Many times talks with the higher-ups in the KC Royals’ organization steer to extreme caution but the tone was different this time.

It was honestly surprising and refreshing to see Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Tyler Zuber and Carlos Hernandez make the club and spend most, if not all, the season on the main roster. They all had ups and downs but the potential was undeniable.

Even more optimism was shown as Worthy noted that Daniel Lynch and Jackson Kowar were very close to joining the big league club even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. J.J. Picollo told Worthy, and let us know, that despite the cancellation of minor league seasons, those two prospects are still on track for a call-up soon.

"“Based on some of the things they were working on throughout the summer into the fall and the progress they’ve made, we certainly feel like they are closer to the major leagues. We don’t feel like they’ve stalled their careers at all.” – Picollo"

Royals fans have been itching to see what this crew could do together ever since the 2018 draft when the team went all-in on high-quality pitching. The pickup of Asa Lacy over the summer only adds to the excitement of a potentially dominating rotation.

Dayton Moore leads the charge

As mentioned, the KC Royals general manager tends to try and temper any excitement as if he is afraid to get fans’ hopes up.  Perhaps he is putting the players on notice that big things are expected and he wants them to build their confidence that they will deliver. As Worthy noted Moore telling a videoconference:

"“We are in the process of building a championship rotation and a championship-caliber pitching staff…That’s undeniable.” – Moore"

This offseason it would be wise for the Royals to focus on other areas besides starting pitching.  They have several needs in the lineup and with the above-mentioned hurlers plus others working their way up the system, bringing in veterans with limited upside would be a huge stumbling block.

Many pundits see Kanas City as a favorite to make huge leaps in 2021. They will not do it without letting the young stars-in-the-making be part of the recipe.

Yes, the team will look to sign one or two veteran arms at a discount rate to see what they have in the tank in spring training, but unless they are lights out there is no need to hold the prospects back.  The future is now for the KC Royals.