Royals 28-Year-Old Lefty Gaining Ground In Tight Starting Rotation Competition
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The very strong Kansas City Royals rotation still needs a fifth arm.
Though there will be plenty of familiar faces in 2025, the Royals opened up a spot in their rotation when they traded Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds. Most of the contenders for the role have past experience starting in Kansas City, so the Royals can feel as though they're in safe hands with multiple options.
However, one left-hander who may considered a long shot for the opportunity could be building a strong case for himself based on his strong start to spring training.
On Tuesday, Craig Brown of Into The Fountains opined that 28-year-old Daniel Lynch IV is making headway in the race for the number-five starter role, while speculating that the field could be narrowed down to him and fellow lefty Kris Bubic.
"Daniel Lynch IV fired another salvo in the battle for the fifth starter with three shutout innings on Monday against the Texas Rangers," Brown wrote. "He allowed just one hit and struck out two in a tidy effort. Overall, Lynch has allowed just one run over seven Cactus League innings to this point."
"As good as Lynch was, it would be premature to declare the lefty as a front-runner. It has been something of a battle of attrition as injuries have culled the field. At this point, it feels as though it’s between Lynch and Bubic."
Lynch spent the first three years of his Royals big-league career as exclusively a starter, making 51 starts from 2021-2023. Things didn't go very well, as the lefty posted a 5.18 cumulative ERA in that time frame. But he may have built some momentum with his strong 2024 performance.
In 16 appearances, 13 of which came out of the bullpen, Lynch posted a 3.32 ERA and 0.99 WHIP last season. He had a 6.43 ERA in 14 innings as a starter compared to a 1.84 mark in 29 1/3 innings as a reliever.
One might look at those splits and assume Lynch is better served working out of the bullpen, but he could earn himself one more crack at starting if he outshines Bubic the rest of the spring. If not, he could prove to be a valuable shutdown option against tough lefties all season long.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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