The Bubba Starling Experiment Didn’t Work for the Royals, and That’s Okay
For years, many wondered what would become of Kansas City Royals outfielder Bubba Starling. Now, in late October of 2021, that no longer has to be the case. The former No. 5 overall pick recently announced his retirement from the game of baseball via Facebook.
In 2011, Starling, a local kid, fulfilled a lifelong dream by joining the Royals. He was their first pick of that draft class, speaking to how highly the organization viewed him. As a downright tantalizing athlete at Gardner-Edgerton High School in Kansas, Starling dominated the ranks of the local football, basketball and baseball scenes. His rare blend of size, speed, natural-born IQ and projectability gave him a future in at least two of those sports, as he passed on the opportunity to play quarterback for Nebraska so he could join the Royals.
It was easy to see why, too. Starling was given a whopping $7.5 million signing bonus after being drafted, a testament to both his ability and draft slot. He was touted as a true five-tool prospect who could make a great center fielder one day. Through his first four seasons in the Royals' minor league system, Starling had shown flashes of becoming that player. 2016 and 2017 saw him come crashing down to earth.
Injuries certainly played a role in stunting Starling's growth as a minor-leaguer, but he finally broke through in the summer of 2019 and was promoted to the MLB club. In his career with the Royals, Starling posted a .204/.246/.298 line, good for just a .544 OPS. He struck out 83 times in 91 games and never managed to get into a rhythm.
In 2021, Starling spent his limited campaign with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers. He turned in a decent slate of games, too, holding a .861 OPS — albeit in just 27 contests. He spent his summer playing for Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics, winning a silver medal in the process. His last game in the minors came on July 8, an 0-for-4 outing against the Toledo Mud Hens.
The Starling experiment didn't work out for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps he was overhyped coming out of high school. His hit tool was never close to what some made it out to be. Injuries slowed his progress. The high strikeout rates proved to be too much to overcome. He made it to The Show, though, and that's more than over 99% of people can say. Starling ended his career on his terms and is excited for whatever his life brings next. If that's enough for him, it should be enough for everyone else.
