Kansas City Royals: Pitchers who could make starting rotation in 2019
STARTING ROTATION CANDIDATES – JORGE LOPEZ
Now we get to the five most likely to make the rotation right out of Spring Training. The number five starter will probably be Jorge Lopez, unless he downright bombs on the mound this spring.
Lopez was brought in from Milwaukee in the Mike Moustakas trade and the Royals put him right to work. He didn’t do great in KC, ending the year with a 6.35 ERA, but he did nearly throw a perfect game in September.
light. Related Story. Jorge Lopez Deserves Opportunity as Starter
Throwing just 34 innings as a Royal wasn’t enough sample size, but people are high on this guy. He’ll be 26 years old when the season gets underway and it really does seem that in all likelihood, he’ll get the fifth spot in the rotation.
If Lopez struggles, the Royals need to let him take his lumps because he’s hopefully going to be one of the future starters for the long-term.