Inside The Royals

Royals Ace Predicted To Take Him Major Honor After 2025

Could the Royals ace add some hardware?
Curt Bishop|
Apr 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the hat and glove of Kansas City Royals first basemen Eric Hosmer the field prior to a game against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-Imagn Images
Apr 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the hat and glove of Kansas City Royals first basemen Eric Hosmer the field prior to a game against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter G. Aiken-Imagn Images

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Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals dropped two out of three to the defending American League Central champion Cleveland Guardians to open the 2025 season.

The offense went flat and the starting rotation was shaky. However, the rotation was their ultimate strength in 2024, and with it still being early in the season, it's not a time for fans to panic.

The rotation should settle in and help the Royals remain competitive in 2025.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report made one bold prediction for every team in Major League Baseball. For Kansas City, it was for left-hander Cole Ragans to win the AL Cy Young award.

"Ragans turned in 12 fantastic starts after the Royals acquired him from the Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline, then he backed up his breakout last season by going 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 223 strikeouts in 186.1 innings. The 27-year-old finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting in 2024, and he has the potential to top Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Logan Gilbert, Framber Valdez, Jacob deGrom and others in this year's race," Reuter predicted.

Ragans went five innings and allowed three runs in his Opening Day start on Thursday. However, he had a very strong 2024 season and should be able to replicate that success in 2025.

If he can do that, he has a great chance to at least be considered for the Cy Young award. He can eat innings and record strikeouts at a high rate, so he certainly has the makings of a Cy Young-type pitcher.

More MLB: Royals Star Has Harsh Reaction To Guardians' Emmanuel Clase Plunking Teammate

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Curt Bishop
CURT BISHOP

Curt Bishop is a freelance sports writer who graduated from Maryville University of St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the field of Communication and currently writes as a contributor for various platforms covering Major League Baseball. Curt’s work includes covering trade and free agency predictions, as well as rumors and news.

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