KC Royals ace emphatically checks first box in spring training debut

The Kansas City Royals' spring training game against the Athletics on February 24 marked not only their fourth win in Arizona, but also ace Cole Ragans' first start of the season. The left-hander pitched two scoreless innings in his spring debut at Surprise Stadium, focusing on his slider as he gets ready for the season ahead.

"Slider movement — what I've been working on — was right where I want it," Ragans told reporters after the start, per MLB.com. "Just more so now getting it to that down and glove side [of the plate], instead of leaving it over the plate... Usually we'll mix in at least one of every pitch... as spring goes on, we'll mix in obviously a little more."

Cole Ragans works on slider in first spring training start for KC Royals

Ragans introduced the slider into his arsenal in the second half of 2023, and averaged 86.6 mph on 166 pitches before the end of the season. Last year, he threw 400 sliders, averaging 86 mph. He's now focusing on refining the pitch's location and movement at spring training, hoping to get back to — and even improve upon — the success he saw when he first introduced the pitch.

"I was locating [the slider] well in ‘23," Ragans told MLB.com's Anne Rogers. "Now, I’ve got the feel of what I need to think to help it be that gyro slider, now it’s finding my lane to locate it. We’re close. Still got a little bit of time to figure it out."

In his Cactus League debut, Ragans threw 17 fastballs with an average velocity of 96.9 mph — topping out at 98.3 mph — and averaged 87.2 mph on 3 sliders.

While it's still very early in spring training, Ragans' start is a promising preview for the season ahead. Originally acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers in 2023, Ragans firmly established himself as an ace last season, ending 2024 with a 11-9 win-loss record, 3.14 ERA, and 1.14 WHIP in 186.1 innings of work. In addition to earning his first All-Star selection, a Gold Glove Award nomination, and finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting, Ragans posted 223 strikeouts to become just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to strike out 200 batters in a single season.