KC Royals: Five Reasons They Missed Playoffs in 2016

Reasons Royals Missed Playoffs in 2016 – Number 3: Inconsistent pitching

This goes for both the starting rotation and the bullpen. The bullpen, which was typically a lock down pen in years past, struggled down the stretch this year.

The only reliable relievers were Wade Davis (who was hurt for a decent portion of the season), Kelvin Herrera, and Matt Strahm. The rest were not guys you wanted out there in big situations.

It’s tough to win baseball games when your team gives up runs early on in every game, but just as tough when the bullpen can’t hold it down.

The starting pitching was a rollercoaster all season long though. Danny Duffy was a bright spot (although his start the other night was not good), but the rest of the rotation were tough to watch at times.

As the season went on, Yordano Ventura and Ian Kennedy seemed to have settled in. Chris Young was dreadful though, and any time he started a game, fans knew the game was lost before it even really began.

Edinson Volquez was arguably the biggest disappointment in the rotation though and might have pitched his way out of a Royals contract for next season.

It’s tough to win baseball games when your team gives up runs early on in every game, but just as tough when the bullpen can’t hold it down. Royals fans hadn’t had to deal with the latter in 2014 and 2015, but they got a taste of the other side this season.

Yeah, it wasn’t fun at all.