Kansas City Royals: Starting Pitching Options

Chris Young: Steamer Projection – 15 Starts

Chris Young became one of the best stories for the Royals in 2015. He was a well-traveled veteran pitcher with a list of injuries as long as he was tall.

Dayton Moore snatched him up on a very team-friendly deal of $675,000 though his deal was laden with incentives. It turned out to be a great move for the Royals.

Not only was Young a good story for his performances throughout the regular season, one of his starts came only hours after his father’s death. He pitched five innings of no-hit baseball before departing to be with his family. It was just one of the events that brought the team closer together in 2015.

He pitched five innings of no-hit baseball before departing to be with his family. It was just one of the events that brought the team closer together in 2015.

Young made four appearances in the 2015 postseason. Twice he appeared as a reliever and dominated both of his outings. In those outings, Young pitched seven innings and struck out 11 while allowing only three hits and one run.

He also made two starts for the Royals. Both came in game four of a series and both wound up with the Royals leading the series 3-1 by game’s end.

During the regular season, Young made 18 starts for the Royals and showed that he can be a valuable pitcher when he isn’t overworked. With the proper amount of rest, Young could prove to be a valuable ‘swing-man’ for the Royals that can pitch effectively out of the bullpen or in the rotation.

Next: It's Been A Long Road