KC Royals: Five Bold Predictions For 2016

Yordano Ventura Will Win 20 Games

Yordano Ventura has been labeled a lot of things in his young career. He pitched a game that saw him described as ‘mature beyond his years’ in game six of the 2014 World Series. He only needed a few outings in the 2015 season to be labeled a ‘hot-head’.

Ventura really struggled after his first couple of outings of the season. He was demoted to the minor leagues midway through the season, but was instantly recalled due to a Jason Vargas injury.

Whatever happened to Ventura between the demotion and the instant recall must’ve set off a lightbulb, because he started to show poise and control in the second half of the season.

While Ventura went 4-6 over the first half of the season he finished the year 9-2. More impressively Ventura pitched to an 8-1 record over the final two months of the season.

Ventura also managed to strike out 11 batters on three separate occasions in his last eight starts of the season. His previous career high was ten and he hadn’t done that since 2014.

If Ventura has learned to control his emotions and focus his energy on the strike zone instead of the batter’s box, he’s fully capable of winning 20 games. He’d be the first 20 game winner for the Royals since Mark Gubicza won 20 games in 1988.

Next: All-Star Games