Royals rotation gets major boost from unexpected comeback arm

For Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic, the journey from first-round draft pick to reliable big-league starter hasn't been linear — but it’s quickly becoming one of the most compelling comeback stories early in the 2025 MLB season.

Drafted 40th overall in 2018 out of Stanford, Bubic entered the Royals organization with high expectations. The lefty had the makings of a durable mid-rotation arm: deceptive delivery and a solid pitch mix. However early in his MLB career, Bubic struggled to put it all together. Command issues and inconsistent results plagued his first few seasons in the Royals’ rotation, and his numbers reflect exactly that with a 12-29 win-loss record and a 4.58 ERA.

Then came the turning point: after just three starts in 2023, Bubic was sidelined with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery — a blow that threatened to derail his career altogether.

Royals have feel-good story with Kris Bubic in 2025

Bubic used the rehab process as an opportunity to reset. In 2024, upon returning from surgery, the Royals shifted him to a bullpen role — a move that proved worthwhile.

In 27 appearances out of the 'pen, Bubic threw 30 1/3 innings with a 2.67 ERA, striking out 39 batters while walking just five. His K/9 soared from 9 to 11.6. The walks dropped. The stuff looked crisp. Most importantly, he showed a new level of composure on the mound — pitching with a fresh mindset.

That mindset, it turns out, has become his greatest asset.

“Now it’s, ‘OK, I’m a reliever for one inning. The next inning, I’m a reliever for one inning,’” Bubic told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers. “It allows me to focus on the present a little more instead of looking ahead ... which in reality, it’s just a byproduct of what you do early in the game.”

That "reliever’s mindset" carried Bubic into 2025 spring training. He broke camp having won the fifth starter spot in the Royals rotation — and in his first start of the season, he wasted no time making a statement.

Against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 31, Bubic tossed six strong innings, allowing just three hits and two walks while punching out eight.

Even without considering his recovery from Tommy John, Bubic’s reemergence as a starter serves as inspiration for pitchers on the fringe of starting rotations — those whose raw stuff hasn’t quite clicked, who’ve been moved to the bullpen in search of consistency. His career path is a blueprint for reinvention through discipline and adaptation.

Moving forward, Bubic projects to be a stabilizing force at the end of the Royals rotation. But if the version of Bubic we saw against Milwaukee is real and his season debut is real — the Royals could be looking at a breakout year from their once-struggling southpaw.

His ability to limit walks and miss bats could elevate him from the back-end of the rotation into a legitimate frontline starter. Even more, his bulldog approach and evolving maturity on the mound will make him a valuable presence for the young pitchers in the organization who are still trying to find their footing.

Kris Bubic’s comeback isn’t just about health. It’s about transformation. And if his first start of 2025 is any indication, it’s only just beginning.