Royals May Have Found a Reliable Arm as Pitcher Continues to Shine

The Kansas City Royals are back in the win column after taking the series from the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

While the offense seemed to wake up during the series, there was one player who anchored the team during its 5-0 win on Saturday.

Stephen Kolek pitched a gem for Kansas City on Saturday and has been nothing but reliable for the Royals since joining the team.

Stephen Kolek goes the distance against the Mariners

May 12, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The 29-year-old pitched a complete-game shutout against Seattle on Saturday, tossing all nine innings while allowing no runs on four hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

This was the fourth complete-game shutout in MLB this season and the second shutout of Kolek's career. His first came during his time with the San Diego Padres last season.

This is the type of production the Royals have gotten from Kolek since he arrived in Kansas City.

The Royals acquired Kolek at the trade deadline last year from San Diego, and he made five starts for Kansas City in 2025.

In those five outings, he recorded five quality starts while posting a 1.91 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP across 33 innings pitched.

Entering the 2026 season, Kolek was part of the competition for the fifth spot in the rotation during spring training. However, after suffering a Grade 1 left oblique strain during camp, he began the season on the 15-day injured list.

After an extended recovery process and rehab assignments, paired with injuries in the Royals' rotation, Kolek returned to Kansas City, and the production he showed last season has quickly carried over into this year.

So far this season, Kolek has logged 26 innings across his first four starts. Three of those outings have been quality starts, meaning the right-hander has recorded eight quality starts in his first nine starts with the Royals.

In those 26 innings, he has posted a 2.77 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. He is also 3-0 on the year, giving him a 1.000 winning percentage.

Kolek does not overpower hitters with velocity or swing-and-miss stuff. Instead, he attacks the strike zone, limits walks and does a strong job of inducing soft contact.

He has posted a 5.1% walk rate this season, which ranks in the 95th percentile, according to Statcast. That has been paired with a 5.1% barrel rate allowed.

The Royals will have some decisions to make once Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic return from the injured list. With the way Kolek has pitched this season, it will be difficult for Kansas City to send him back to Triple-A.

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