Kansas City Royals: Danny Duffy Gets The Nod On Opening Day
By Ben Almquist
It was already expected, but Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost officially named Danny Duffy as the opening day starter for 2017.
There was very little doubt as far as most fans and pundits of the Kansas City Royals were concerned. However, getting the official word from the often unpredictable Ned Yost allows for a sigh of relief. That word? Danny Duffy will serve as the Royals starter when the team opens the season on April 3rd against the Minnesota Twins.
Danny Duffy should have plenty of momentum coming into this season. That’s not just because of his strong 2016 campaign, but also his recent success in the World Baseball Classic. Duffy was very strong in the international competition, with a pair of key starts that helped Team USA capture the gold.
Now the Royals ace will look to carry the load for a team that is hoping to make a return to the postseason. While the 2016 season was largely a disappointment for Kansas City, Duffy was one of the few bright spots.
Ned Yost named Danny Duffy the Opening Day starter.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) March 25, 2017
The Kansas City Royals starting rotation looks much different than it did during the 2015 World Series campaign. Gone are Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, and (sadly) Yordano Ventura. Danny Duffy will lead a rotation that instead includes Jason Hammel and Ian Kennedy as his top rotation mates. The pressure will clearly be on Duffy to be the reliable hand in the group.
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If the Kansas City Royals want to get back to the playoffs, Danny Duffy is going to play a major role. Duffy has emerged as one of the better pitchers in baseball, and he will need to play up to that level this season. If he can’t carry that load, the Royals will have no chance of making the postseason.