Kansas City Royals: Opening Day starters over past decade

2010 OPENING DAY STARTER – ZACK GREINKE

In one of Trey Hillman‘s last acts as the Kansas City Royals manager, he named Zack Greinke the Opening Day starter for 2010 against the Detroit Tigers. It made perfect sense: the previous year, Greinke, then only 25, went 16-8 while pitching 229.1 innings pitched over 33 games started while leading the Majors in ERA (2.16), ERA+ (205), and FIP (2.33).

He also led the American League in WHIP (1.073) and HR/9 (0.4). He tossed in six complete games, three of which went for shutouts, and struck out 242 batters while only walking 51.

That all for a team that almost lost 100 games. Of course, he won the Cy Young.

But Hillman only had 35 games left with the organization when 2010 began. Wanting to get things off on the right foot against a divisional rival, he pitted his ace against theirs: Grienke vs Justin Verlander.

Despite neither starting getting a decision, Verlander’s Tigers prevailed, 8-4.

For his part, Greinke pitched well, tossing six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking one. But relievers named Ramon Colon and Rob Tejeda (who took the loss) let the team down, giving up a combined five earned runs while only recording a singular out. The dagger came when ex-Royal Johnny Damon knocked a two-run double that put Detroit up for good, 5-4.

In the end, the Royals moved from Hillman to Ned Yost, and improved by a total of two games. Greinke, meanwhile, saw a huge dip in production in what turned out to be his last season as a Royal: he went 10-14 with a 4.17 ERA, 100 ERA+, 3.34 FIP, 1.245 WHIP while striking out only 181 batters.

He’d be traded in the offseason.