Who will be Kansas City Royals’ 5th starter in 2025? These pitchers are in contention
The Kansas City Royals have confidence in their starting rotation. The unit is fueled by four former All-Stars in Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen.
Last season, Lugo finished second and Ragans fourth in American League Cy Young voting. Ragans was KC’s opening day starter and signed a three-year contract extension this week.
Wacha and Lorenzen, meanwhile, re-signed with the organization in free agency.
The Royals have a mix of guys in contention for the final rotation spot. It’s likely to be a competition throughout the spring for the role.
“We have some really good pitchers in camp, and they are good at their job,” pitching coach Brian Sweeney said. “We are just going to let them go and compete. You know, let those guys go out there and do their thing. They know what’s at stake. They know what’s going on and they see what the team looks like. Let them go compete and have some fun.”
Here is a look at the candidates for the Royals’ fifth starter spot...
Kris Bubic
The Royals know what they have in Bubic. He owns a 4.99 ERA in 60 career starts and has a bunch of experience within the group.
Last season, Bubic returned from Tommy John surgery and came out of the bullpen. He thrived in the role with a 2.67 ERA in 27 appearances. The Royals felt comfortable utilizing him in the postseason as he pitched in high-leverage situations against the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.
The plan is for Bubic to revert back to being a starter in 2025. He will be built up for more innings to give the Royals another option in the starting rotation.
“Just go out and pitch,” Bubic said of his mentality. “You know, the spots will take care of themselves at the end of camp. The way I’ve seen it, just the last few years and throughout my career so far, just because you break camp a certain way it doesn’t mean you are going to end the year that way. So we are going to need contributions from everybody in this clubhouse.
“Whether I am a starter or a reliever, I just want to pitch, pitch healthy, get outs and contribute.”
Bubic produced some impressive moments as a starter.
During the 2023 season, Bubic pitched six shutout innings and recorded nine strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants. He owns an 8.0 strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate and a 2.4 WAR in 97 career games.
“Whatever is in the cards this year, I will be ready for,” Bubic said.
Alec Marsh
Marsh is in a familiar spot. Last season, the Royals named Marsh their fifth starter after a close competition during the spring.
Now, Marsh looks to earn a starting nod once again. He entered camp dealing with right shoulder tightness but is quickly working to ramp his production. The Royals consider Marsh day-to-day and he could be delayed facing live hitters soon.
“Every year is compete mode, right?” Marsh said. “I mean, you are going to take the best five guys out of camp to give us a chance to win any game. My job right now is to worry about getting my arm back to 100% and just learning and growing from these guys. ... And when I’m ready to compete, go out there and do what I do.”
Marsh experienced an uneven 2024 campaign. He battled with inconsistency and was sent down to Triple-A Omaha. At times, Marsh struggled with command, which led to long innings on the mound.
“I learned a lot about myself,” Marsh said. “I know there is a lot more in there, for sure, from a performance standpoint and things I’ve got to work on. But mainly it’s the consistency piece and that is what I’m excited to showcase this year.”
Marsh made 25 starts last season. He posted a 4.53 ERA in 129 innings and has the pitching arsenal to be a solid MLB starter. He throws a variety of pitches including a fastball, slider, sinker and sweeper.
Opponents hit .317 against the sinker in 2024. Marsh hopes to be more efficient and focus on getting weak contact with the variance of his pitches.
Daniel Lynch IV
Lynch has been a part of the organization for a while. He began his career as a starter before heading to the bullpen in 2024.
The bullpen transition worked out well. Lynch found confidence operating in high-leverage innings down the stretch. He produced a 3.32 ERA in 16 games and offered manager Matt Quatraro another left-handed option in relief.
“I’m looking at it as I’m just going to keep building up as a starter,” Lynch said. “I think for me, it’s helpful that I’m not a two-pitch mix guy. When I went to the bullpen, I pitched exactly the same as I did as a starter. So really, right now, I’m just building up my innings, building up my volume and doing the same thing of executing pitches.”
Lynch added that he liked the adrenaline rush coming out of the bullpen. He wants to help the team compete in 2024.
“If it gets to the point where they go, ‘Hey, we are probably going to need you in the bullpen instead,’ that’s great too,” Lynch said. “Just to reiterate, it’s the feeling of that contribution. I kind of liked the down and dirty part of the bullpen. I kind of liked that. And that’s something that if it came about this year, I would be happy to do.”
Kyle Wright
The Royals acquired Wright ahead of the 2024 season from the Atlanta Braves. He hasn’t pitched for the organization due to right shoulder surgery.
The injury kept Wright sidelined for the entire year. Now, he is set to return after the long layoff. The Royals plan to bring him along slowly.
“There is just going to be constant adjustments and hurdles to clear, whether they’re physical or mental,” Quatraro said. “But (it’s good) to get him back out here and just sort of feel there is a chance for him to be on the mound and contributing. We know how good he was prior, so that is what drives him and us.”
Wright had a standout 2022 campaign. He finished 21-5 with a 3.19 ERA in 30 starts with the Braves. He is also a World Series champion and could be in the mix to start games at some point during the year.
Others in the mix
The Royals have a few minor-league options in the competition. Guys like Noah Cameron, Luinder Avila, and Jonathan Bowlan are on the 40-man roster.
While it’s unlikely those pitchers will earn the coveted spot, the Royals will grant the trio valuable experience as they build up for the upcoming season.
Cameron pitched well in Triple-A Omaha last season. He posted a 2.32 ERA in nine starts after being promoted from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Cameron could use this experience to springboard forward.
There is a chance Cameron could make his MLB debut at some point in 2025.
Bowlan made his Royals debut in 2023. He has two career starts and is a reliable option in the minors. Bowlan was 12-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 35 games (16 starts).
Avila was promoted to Triple-A Omaha last season as well. He made one start for the Storm Chasers but got some experience in the Arizona Fall League. He posted 17 strikeouts in 14 ⅔ innings with the Surprise Saguaros.
The Royals value depth within their organization. Bowlan and Cameron are both close and could wind up in the majors if needed.
