Kansas City Royals: Nate Karns Named Fifth Starter in Rotation
The Kansas City Royals have finally answered the question as to who the fifth starter will be in the rotation this season. That guy is newbie Nate Karns, who was named to the fifth spot on Monday.
All offseason long, KC Royals fans have wondered who would be pitching in that fifth spot in the rotation. The Royals had a solid one with Danny Duffy, that much was true, but after Yordano Ventura‘s tragic death, there were a lot of questions to answer about the rest of the order.
Ian Kennedy likely will be bumped up to the second starter and from there, Jason Hammel and Jason Vargas would be the three and four respectively. So, who gets the nod for the number five spot?
Well, the answer to that question is Nate Karns, the new guy to Kansas City.
Ned says Nate Karns is the 5th starter
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) March 20, 2017
Karns was the guy brought in when the Royals traded Jarrod Dyson to Seattle. Fans were upset, but now the trade is paying off, as Karns will get to show his worth.
He hasn’t had a great spring so far, notching a 7.36 ERA in 11 innings pitched, according to MLB.com. That’s just spring training though.
A lot of times it doesn’t even end up meaning anything, and the Royals obviously saw something they liked in Karns or he wouldn’t be earning the job with two weeks left before Opening Day.
The other two guys in the running for that final spot were Travis Wood and Chris Young. Rustin Dodd tweeted that Ned Yost wanted those two guys in the bullpen.
Ned Yost said the Royals like Karns' power stuff in the rotation and value versatility of Travis Wood and Chris Young in the bullpen.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) March 20, 2017
So, as of now, the five starters of Duffy, Kennedy, Hammel, Vargas, and Karns should give Royals Nation some confidence heading in the year. The 2016 season saw the rotation look absolutely dreadful, but this year’s group could be the best rotation we’ve seen in what I like to call “the good years” of Royals baseball.
With the bullpen likely taking a step back in 2017, it’ll be nice to have what should be a decent group of starters on the mound. Getting to the seventh inning is no longer an automatic win for the Royals, but fortunately, these pitchers should be able to take it longer than that.
Nate Karns started 15 games last season in Seattle and appeared in 22 total. He had a miserable season, posting an ERA of 5.15 in 94.1 innings thrown. He struck out 101 batters, which hopefully will remain a strong point for him when he takes the mound for the Kansas City Royals.
What do you think, Royals fans? Are you excited that Nate Karns won the fifth spot?