Royals' Michael Wacha Turning Heads During Strong 2026 Campaign

Wacha worked through seven scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out six. The outing marked his sixth quality start of the season as the Royals took the first two games, securing the three-game series win early.

Ever since his first season in Kansas City in 2024, Wacha has not only been a veteran leader for the roster and rotation, but also one of the Royals’ more reliable arms.

In 2024, he logged 166.2 innings with a 3.35 ERA. His leadership and production led to Kansas City signing him to a three-year deal through the 2027 season. 

He followed that up in 2025 by posting a 3.86 ERA across 172.2 innings, and now appears to be pitching some of the best baseball he has played in recent years.

Wacha owns a pitching run value of 8, which ranks in the 92nd percentile, according to Statcast. While that value is outstanding, his underlying pitching metrics are not as dominant as some might expect.

He owns a 22.5% whiff rate and just a 20.9% strikeout rate, showing he is not a pitcher who overwhelms hitters with strikeouts. 

Instead, he relies on his control and pitch mix to induce soft contact, highlighted by his 88 mph average exit velocity allowed.

His ability to work deep into games has also played a major role in the season he is putting together, as shown by his 51.1 innings through just eight starts.

If Wacha continues pitching the way he has, he could very well earn an All-Star selection when the time comes. It would mark his second career selection and first since 2015 with the St. Louis Cardinals.