Kansas City Royals: Five Most Pleasant Surprises in 2016

Sep 28, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) pours the water cooler on right fielder Paulo Orlando (16) after the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won 5-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

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Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy (41) – Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Pleasant Surprises in 2016 – Number 1: Danny Duffy

Without a doubt, the most surprising player on the Kansas City Royals roster this year was Danny Duffy. Duffy had a down year in 2015, recording a 4.08 ERA in only 24 starts for the club.

His inconsistencies on the mound led the Royals to demote Duffy to the bullpen near the end of last season and throughout the playoffs. Duffy remained in the bullpen when 2016 began, but injuries to several starters pushed him back into the rotation.

Going into 2017, Danny Duffy will more than likely be the opening day starter.

From there, it was Duffman time. Duffy went on to pitch 179.2 innings, a career high for the lefty. He also had a 3.51 ERA in 26 starts (42 games total) and had a record of 12-3.

The most memorable moment of the season involved Duffy actually. It was his 16 strikeout performance against Tampa Bay in a game in which Duffy carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

While Duffy was fantastic throughout most of the year, he started to slow down a bit near the end of the year. That’s what worries me honestly. Duffy hasn’t taken pressure well during his time in the majors, and whenever the Royals have put him into a number one or two role, he’s struggled to live up to the hype.

Going into 2017, Danny Duffy will more than likely be the opening day starter. Let’s hope he can keep the rhythm he had this past summer because Duffy was on fire for the majority of the season. The Royals could use a true ace in the rotation.

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