Kansas City Royals: Appreciating Kevin Appier’s amazing 1993 season

Let’s review former KC Royals pitcher Kevin Appier’s amazing 1993 season.

Things were looking up for the Kansas City Royals in 1993. After winning the World Series in 1985, the team had missed the postseason for seven straight years but had still posted four winning records. The Royals dropped to 72-90 in 1992, and yet had some inspiring seasons from several players, including a fourth-year starting pitcher.

In 1992, Kevin Appier–the former No. 9 overall pick out of Antelope Valley College in 1987–anchored the Royals’ rotation. Then only 24-years-old, Appier led the Royals in wins (15), ERA (2.46), ERA+ (164), innings pitched (208.1), strikeouts (150), FIP (2.98), WHIP (1.128), home runs allowed per nine innings (0.4), strikeouts per nine innings (6.5), and WAR (8.0), among other categories.

Crazily, he didn’t receive a single vote for that year’s American League Cy Young Award.

Even crazier, he topped it all the next season.

With the Kansas City Royals now playing Spring Training games in preparation of the 2021 season, let’s step back and rewind 28 years to 1993 so that we can fully appreciate the best season of Kevin Appier’s career.

A season that should’ve netted him not only the Cy Young Award but also the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

Instead, he didn’t win either, and it wasn’t even close.