KC Royals pack punch into Wild Card Series rotation

Although who they'll play and where they'll play them won't be known until late Sunday afternoon, the KC Royals have already established their starting rotation for the American League Wild Card Series.

And it packs a huge punch. The biggest and best, in fact, the club could choose for their best-of-three series that begins Tuesday in either Houston or Baltimore.

Multiple sources, including MLB.com KC beat writer Anne Rogers and the Kansas City Star's Jaylon Thompson, are reporting the Royals will go with Cole Ragans in Game 1, Seth Lugo in Game 2, and Michael Wacha in Game 3 if playing a third contest is required.

The Royals open the WCS in Baltimore if they win and Detroit loses today, or in Houston if they lose to the Braves in Atlanta this afternoon or the Tigers beat the White Sox.

But no matter who and where the Royals play, their top three starters will be front and center.

Kansas City has lined up a loaded Wild Card Series rotation

Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha are manager Matt Quatraro's choices to start in the Wild Card Series.

For Ragans, Tuesday's opening game assignment is his second key high-honor selection of the season — the Royals' 2023 Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year started against Minnesota Opening Day. Although he lost that game, he went 11-9 with a nice 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. He last worked against Washington Tuesday and, although he didn't last long enough to get the win in the Royals' 1-0 extra-innings victory, he also didn't allow a run and fanned six Nationals. He gave up only three runs in 25 September innings, so he's pitching quite well at the right time.

Second-game starter Lugo will start Wednesday after Quatraro used him for two innings Saturday. Going into today's regular-season finale, Lugo's 16 wins had him tied with New York's Carlos Rodón and Toronto's José Berríos for second-most in the American League.

Wacha's third-game appearance is contingent upon that game being necessary. If it is, he'll start it with an excellent 13-8, 3.35 ERA record; if it isn't, and Kansas City wins the series, he'd be the logical choice to start the first game of the AL Division Series, which is slated to begin next Saturday.

So, regardless of who the Royals play in the Wild Card Series, they have a top-notch rotation ready to go.

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