Royals’ Michael Wacha Sets New Career High in 14th MLB Season

The veteran caps off his outstanding 2026 campaign

Sep 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha capped his outstanding 2026 campaign by reaching a new career high. The 35-year-old’s season was filled with production, and in his final outing of the season Saturday, he set a new bar.

During Saturday's 11-5 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, Wacha made his final start of the season. He went 6 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out four.

With this start, Wacha surpassed 200 innings pitched for the first time in his career, setting a new career high. The veteran arm has anchored a rotation that was hit hard by injuries all season.

Not only has Wacha been able to log a bunch of innings, but his effectiveness goes beyond simply eating innings. He posted a 3.32 ERA across 200 2/3 innings this season. That was paired with 158 strikeouts, tying his career high from 2017. He also did a good job limiting walks, posting a 6.7% walk rate, according to Statcast.

This performance led to his second All-Star selection, his first since the 2015 season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

There was plenty of talk surrounding Wacha, as he was viewed as one of, if not the biggest, Kansas City trade chips entering the trade deadline this season. The Royals ultimately decided not to deal him, and that decision has looked like the right one based on the stretch of baseball he put together this year.

With the rotation looking fairly uncertain heading into next season, especially with Cole Ragans, Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila all having their seasons cut short by elbow surgery and their 2027 outlooks remaining uncertain, Wacha will likely play a large role next season.

What an entertaining year it was for the starting pitcher. While the season did not go according to plan for the Royals, Wacha’s production this deep into his career is one of the biggest positive takeaways from the season.