KC Royals' collection of aces looms even larger after Yankees' Gerrit Cole disaster

Opening Day is not yet upon us, but injury woes have already struck across MLB spring training camps. While the Kansas City Royals have avoided any major or long-term blows at this early stage, other teams have been less fortunate, and on March 13, the New York Yankees confirmed that ace Gerrit Cole had undergone Tommy John surgery, ruling him out for the entire 2025 season.

Earlier in the winter, the Yankees were expected to have the strongest starting rotation in MLB this year, but the loss of both Cole and Luis Gil — who is sidelined for at least three months with a right lat strain — has caused significant upset. The Yankees are now going into 2025 without an ace, and as they piece together what's left of their rotation, it's clear their starters are no longer poised to dominate the league.

Meanwhile, the Royals' squad of aces looms even larger.

KC Royals' starters set to dominate as NY Yankees piece together rotation without Gerrit Cole

Following the loss of Cole and Gil (at least until June), the Yankees' starting rotation is expected to feature Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and Will Warren. It's not bad by any means, but it's certainly not the dominant rotation they were hoping to boast.

With New York no longer projected to have the best starting rotation in MLB, a clear contender for the title is Kansas City. Going into 2025, the Royals have one the strongest — if not the strongest — 1-2-3 punches at the top of their rotation, with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha all returning to the roster.

Ragans' recent emergence as an ace has been game-changing for the Royals, who acquired the left-hander in a trade with the Texas Rangers in June 2023. Last season, Ragans finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting after posting an 11-9 win-loss record, 3.14 ERA, and 1.14 WHIP in 186.1 innings of work, and earned both his first All-Star selection and first Gold Glove nomination. His 223 strikeouts made him just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to strike out 200 batters in a single season, and after such an impressive campaign, it was no surprise when the Royals signed him to a three-year, $13.25 million contract extension this winter, buying out his first two years of arbitration eligibility.

Lugo is coming off an incredibly strong year as well, winning his first Gold Glove Award after posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage without a single error. He finished 2024 with a 16-9 win-loss record, 3.00 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 181 strikeouts across 206.2 innings, earning his first All-Star selection after leading the AL in ERA through the first half of the season.

As if Ragans and Lugo aren't enough ace-caliber pitchers to brag about, the Royals have Wacha rounding out their top three starters. The right-hander re-signed with Kansas City out of free agency this winter after posting a 13-8 record with a 3.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 145 strikeouts in 166.2 innings with the team last season, and his 3-year, $51 million contract — which could max out at $72 million if all options and incentives are exercised — is the fourth-richest in franchise history.

While the Yankees struggle to piece together their ace-less rotation for 2025, the Royals boast three top-tier starters. Even behind Ragans, Lugo, and Wacha, Kansas City has reliable performers in Michael Lorenzen and Kris Bubic, and plenty of depth between Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Marsh, and Kyle Wright. The loss of Cole for an entire year has been a major blow for New York, but in Kansas City, the already-impressive starting rotation now looms even larger.