The kid’s got it: Keller, the Royals and the burden of being the opening day starter | The Kansas City Star

Bruce Chen got the opening day start for the Royals in 2012, but it wasn’t because he had the best stuff on the pitching staff.

Until rainouts and off-days throw things out of whack, a team’s opening day starter is likely to face the opposing team’s opening day starter in subsequent games, and those can be tough matchups.

A pitcher can throw extremely well for a month and not have much to show for it because he’s constantly matched up with a pitcher who throws even better. Pitching well and still losing can destroy whatever confidence a young pitcher has.

One of the reasons Chen was KC’s opening day starter that year was because he was a veteran who wouldn’t get shaken if he had a rough start to the season.

As a Royals coach said at the time, the team could pitch Chen anywhere in the rotation and he’d still finish 11-11 with a 4.50 ERA: “Bruce is used to getting his ass kicked.”

Being able to absorb loses without wanting to jump off a high bridge came in handy in 2012. The Royals lost the first six games Chen started, which sounds bad, but look at who he matched up with and what that pitcher did in 2012:

April 6: The Angels’ Jered Weaver, 20-5, 2.81 ERA.

April 11: The Athletics’ Brandon McCarthy, 8-6 3.24 ERA.

April 17: The Tigers’ Drew Smyly, 4-3, 3.99 ERA.

April 23: The Blue Jays’ Brandon Morrow, 10-7, 2.96 ERA.

After four starts, Chen had thrown 25 innings and had an ERA of 2.52, but his record was 0-2 because his matchups were against very good pitchers. He didn’t face a pitcher who would wind up with a losing record and an ERA over 4.00 until his fifth start. — April 29 against the Twins’ Jason Marquis (8-11, 5.22 ERA).

But Chen pitched poorly that day, took another loss and then it was right back to a top-of-the-line starter on May 4 vs. the Yankees’ C.C. Sabathia (15-6, 3.38).

Chen didn’t record a win until his seventh start, on May 9 against the Boston Red Sox and Jon Lester — another outstanding pitcher. Fortunately for Chen and his teammates, Lester was having an off year: 9-14, 4.82 ERA.

So Chen took a beating at the start of the 2012 season, but from May 9 on, he went 11-10 — very close to what the Royals’ coach had predicted. By taking the opening day start, Chen accepted the most difficult matchups and protected the team’s younger pitchers.

The kid’s got it

Eric Hosmer made his major-league debut on May 6, 2011, and announced his presence with authority when he hit a memorable home run in Yankee Stadium six days later. But knowledgeable observers knew Hosmer was something special six pitches into his career.

In his first-ever big-league plate appearance, Hosmer walked on a 3-2 pitch. After that game, veteran catcher Jason Kendall said: “The kid’s got it.”

When Kendall was asked what he meant, he turned to teammate Chris Getz and asked: “What were you like in your first game?” Getz admitted he was a mess; everything was a blur, and if the pitcher had dropped the rosin bag he might have taken a hack at it.

Kendall pointed out that Hosmer was so cool he spit on a couple of two-strike curves and then took a 3-2 fastball off the plate away for a walk. That presence of mind from a young player in a big moment was a very good sign.

So why are we talking about Chen, Hosmer, Kendall and Getz?

The same thing is true of Brad Keller’s opening day start.

A legit No. 1

A couple days ago, Keller, just 23, took the ball for the Royals on opening day and had to endure a 1 hour, 46 minute rain delay and more than one warm-up.

He also had friends and family in the stands, and although those people were there to support him, supporters can’t help but add pressure to an already high-stress situation.

Despite all that, Keller threw seven shutout innings while allowing only two hits.

When catcher Martin Maldonado was asked what made Keller effective, he talked about Keller’s “demeanor.”

Pitching is a lot more than spin rate; what goes on between a pitcher’s ears is much more important than how many times the ball revolves on the way to home plate. A pitcher can have the greatest stuff in the world, but if he lacks the confidence to go after hitters, that great stuff won’t matter.

When Royals manager Ned Yost calls Keller a “legit No. 1,” he’s not just talking about Keller’s stuff. He’s also saying Keller has the right mindset to pitch in the biggest games and take on the toughest matchups.

It’s significant that the Royals think Keller is ready to take on the burden of being the opening day starter this early in his career.

Sounds like the kid’s got it.