Royals' latest roster decision marks first step in Cole Ragans' quest for 2026 bounce-back

The Kansas City Royals did not overthink their Opening Day starter. It was the right move in 2024, and again in 2025. Now, after a season to forget, left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans will get a platform to remind fans just how dominant he can be with his third straight Opening Day start.

MLB.com’s Anne Rogers had the details on how Ragans told his wife about the honor over text, but he surely will not phone in his performance against the Atlanta Braves on March 27.

“It’s something that I don’t take for granted or don’t take lightly,” Ragans said. “Just for them to have the belief in me to go out there and get us going means a lot. My third one in a row is crazy to think about. Never in my dreams would I have thought I’d be able to do this.”

Cole Ragans is becoming a familiar sight on Royals' Opening Day

The 28-year-old ace needs to put the 2025 season behind him and remind the baseball world what makes him special. His name used to sit comfortably among the game’s best after a 2024 season in which he led AL pitchers in K/9 at 10.77, ranked second in strikeouts with 223 and fWAR at 4.9, and finished fourth in Cy Young Award voting.

Even after losing much of the 2025 season, Ragans’ 9.2 fWAR since August 2023 trails only Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet for the most in the American League.

"I’m more motivated than ever,” Ragans said. “Last year didn’t go the way we wanted to, especially me personally and obviously as a team."

Ragans headlining this rotation is a no-brainer, even with several solid options behind him. Veterans Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha helped change the team’s pitching outlook, while Kris Bubic and Noah Cameron both had standout 2025 campaigns.

But that group, and more, was also affected by the injury issues that defined last season. Ragans alone missed 100 games because of a left groin strain and a left rotator cuff strain. Hopefully he, and the Royals pitching staff as a whole, can rediscover the footing that made 2024 so special and 2025 so volatile at best.

Opening Day offers a fresh first impression for Ragans, especially because it feels like it has been so long since the Royals starter has been fully healthy.

Odds are that Ragans will square off against Atlanta’s own top lefty, Chris Sale. That matchup should make for an exciting Friday night stage, and one that would go a long way for Ragans if the Royals come out on top.