Entering 2nd season with KC Royals, could pitcher Seth Lugo win AL Cy Young in 2025?
When the Kansas City Royals signed right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo last offseason, club officials were confident in his abilities as a starter.
At the time, Lugo, now 35, was a proven and dependable veteran — as a reliever. He owned a career 2.91 ERA in 237 appearances out of the bullpen.
But Lugo wanted to be a full-time starter and he found that opportunity with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He made 26 starts and finished with a 3.57 ERA in his lone season there.
That was enough to convince the Royals, who handed Lugo a hefty three-year contract in free agency.
They invested in Lugo, in other words. And this past season, Lugo repaid the club for its belief in him by finishing second to Detroit’s Tarik Skubal in voting for the American League Cy Young Award.
His first year with KC also included career highs in wins, starts, strikeouts and innings pitched. He won a Gold Glove and made his first All-Star appearance.
“It was special and something I will never forget,” Lugo said of his 2024 season. “But as I come into this season, it’s a completely new year and everything is a clean slate.
“You can’t rely on the past to expect any kind of results this year. We’ve got to get to work, we’ve got to execute and we’ve got to do what we do.”
Back for a second season with KC, Lugo is a part of a dynamic rotation that includes former All-Stars Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen. The calendar has changed, but Lugo’s goals have remained the same.
He wants to compete and win.
“It’s a whole staff process, but having guys with 10-plus years of service time in the rotation is a big plus for everyone on this team,” he said.
Lugo also set a personal goal for 2025: He wants to pitch at least 200 innings and be available down the stretch as the playoffs near. Last season, he finished second in innings pitched to Seattle’s Logan Gilbert, with with 206 2/3.
“That’s my ultimate goal,” Lugo said. “I think as a starting pitcher, at least 150 (innings), which if you are healthy all year, you should be way past that. ...
“That’s kind of the low number for me. If I can get over 200, that would be great. I would also like to lead the league this year.”
The Royals have built their foundation on pitching. Lugo said KC’s starting rotation is among the closest groups he has been around. Alongside Wacha, Lugo helped younger players last year by offering advice and having in-game dugout meetings after starts.
He plans to continue building such bonds in his second year with the organization. He also has developed a nice chemistry with Royals pitching coaches Brian Sweeney and Zach Bove.
They are in constant communication about ways to improve each day.
“They’ve known me for a year now,” Lugo said. “Instead of a spring training that is a get-to-know-you, now we can go straight to work from day one. So that is great.”
Sweeney agreed. He said he enjoys working with Lugo and looks forward to seeing what he can do this season.
“I’m really excited to work with all of the guys,” Sweeney said, adding, “It’s just continuing to develop that relationship with them and that trust. I feel like there is a lot of trust in the whole entire group, and that’s really important to me. How we create that environment and continue to build that culture, it’s exciting.”
