Here, officially, is the Kansas City Royals’ pitching rotation ahead of opening day 2025
The Kansas City Royals have set their starting pitching rotation.
Manager Matt Quatraro laid out the team’s plans Monday afternoon at Globe Life Field. The Royals are in Texas to play two exhibition games against the Rangers.
KC will start left-handed Cole Ragans on opening day — Thursday — against the Cleveland Guardians. That’s no surprise, as the Royals continue to trust him in big moments.
Last season, Ragans, 27, responded with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. He also made his first All-Star appearance and was rewarded with a new three-year contract that should keep him in the KC organization for the long haul.
The Royals will turn to their other All-Star starting pitcher, right-hander Seth Lugo, in Game 2. The 35-year-old enters his second season with the Royals after finishing second in the American League Cy Young Award voting last fall.
Lugo set career highs with a 16-9 record and 3.00 ERA in 33 starts last season. He also proved his durability by pitching 206 2/3 innings.
Michael Wacha will occupy the third spot in the Royals’ rotation. The right-hander re-signed with KC this offseason, agreeing to a three-year contract. He was arguably the club’s best pitcher in the second half of last year after compiling a 2.79 ERA in 13 starts.
Wacha, 33, is a veteran leader in the clubhouse. He also added to his pitching arsenal last season, incorporating a slider.
The Royals will line up left-hander Kris Bubic in the fourth spot in the rotation. He has transitioned back to being a full-time starter after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2023.
Bubic, 27, pitched out of the Royals’ bullpen last season. He thrived in the role and won a spot in the starting rotation this spring. He will flip with Michael Lorenzen in the pitching order to begin the season.
Lorenzen also re-signed with the Royals. He will likely pitch during the Royals’ first road trip of the year, in Milwaukee against the Brewers (March 31-April 2, after the home-opening Guardians series).
The Royals raved about Lorenzen last season. He was acquired from the Texas Rangers and fit in well with the KC pitching staff. He had a 1.57 ERA in seven games (six starts) with the Royals after the trade.
Expect Lorenzen to pitch in the fifth game of the 2025 season. He will throw in a minor-league spring game before opening day in order to get on regular rest.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 7:27 PM.
