Royals Pitching Staff Ranked 8th In Latest Power Rankings

The Kansas City Royals have come crashing back down to earth after improving their record by 30 wins last season. They lost 106 games in 2023 and responded by winning 86 games in 2024.

That was enough to get them the second American League Wild Card spot, but they are now 35-38 and slipping in the standings.

Their pitching staff has held up its end of the bargain, even with Cole Ragans on the shelf. However, the offense has let them down at various points this year.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently ranked all 30 Major League teams' pitching staffs. Kansas City was ranked eighth out of all 30 clubs.

"What had been the American League's best pitching staff through the first 40-ish games has taken a bit of a nosedive over the past five weeks—fueled in no small part by injuries to Seth Lugo (since returned) and Cole Ragans (out indefinitely). Michaels Lorenzen and Wacha have both struggled as the Royals have plummeted out of the postseason mix by losing 22 out of 32 games," Miller wrote.

Even with Lorenzen and Wacha struggling, the Royals pitching staff has been elite this season. Wacha's track record is strong enough to count on a bounce back.

But Kris Bubic has been their unlikely ace, while prospect Noah Cameron has emerged as a frontline rotation option. As long as both pitchers can maintain their success, the Royals should be in good shape going forward.

It will be interesting to see if their pitching can get them back into the postseason mix.

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