Kansas City's rotation has been one of the best in the Major Leagues this season, with Seth Lugo standing out in particular. During the past offseason, the Royals made bolstering their rotation a top priority. Kansas City's front office successfully signed both Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha to strengthen their starting five. General Manager J.J. Picollo's ability to lure Lugo from the Padres to Kansas City was particularly impressive.
Since the beginning of his career with the Mets, Lugo had always aspired to be a regular member of a team's rotation. However, opportunities in New York were limited due to the presence of stellar arms such as Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard. Following his departure from the Mets, Lugo secured a starting role with the Padres, where he performed admirably with a 3.57 ERA and 140 strikeouts. Opting out of his deal with the Friars, Lugo joined the Royals, and since arriving in the Midwest, he has been a puzzle for opposing teams on the mound.
In his first 20 games of the season at 34 years old, Lugo boasted an impressive 11-4 win-loss record and a career-high 116 strikeouts. Prior to joining the Royals, Lugo wasn't known as a strikeout pitcher, but that has changed dramatically this season. His curveball has been especially effective, often leaving batters looking foolish. Despite reducing his curveball usage from 28.7% to just 15%, Lugo has diversified his pitching repertoire, creating discomfort for batters in the box.
Like every pitcher, Lugo has faced challenges this season. A notable setback occurred on July 14th against the Red Sox, just before the All-Star break, where he gave up five runs. Reflecting on his performance, Lugo remarked, "It wasn’t a good one; I made a few mistakes out there, and I didn’t give the guys a chance to win." Despite this outing, Lugo has consistently delivered quality starts, pitching five innings or more in each game.
On July 21st, Lugo made history with the Royals, pitching a complete game against the White Sox, allowing just one earned run on three hits while striking out six. This marked the first complete game by a Royals pitcher since Brad Keller's outing in 2020 against Pittsburgh.
While Lugo's season has been impressive, winning the Cy Young Award will be a tough challenge. The last Royals pitcher to achieve this feat was Zack Greinke in 2009. According to Fox Sports these are the top ten starters that are up for consideration:
1. Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
2. Corbin Burnes (Orioles)
3. Logan Gilbert (Mariners)
4. Seth Lugo (Royals)
5. Garrett Crockett (White Sox)
6. Tanner Houck (Red Sox)
7. George Kirby (Mariners)
8. Luis Castillo (Mariners)
9. Cole Ragans (Royals)
10. Jack Flaherty (Tigers)
While every Royals fan would love to see Seth Lugo win the Cy Young Award, his lack of experience as a full-time starter and his lower profile until this season may work against him. Nonetheless, his exceptional first half of the season offers hope that he can maintain his dominance into the second half and possibly make a run for the award. Kansas City's rotation has undeniably been exceptional this season, standing out as one of the best in the league. Seth Lugo's outstanding performance has been a key factor in their success, and Royals fans will be eagerly watching to see how he continues to perform down the stretch.
