The Kansas City Royals have had 26 different pitchers start Opening Day since the team was founded in 1969. Who did the best in their Opening Day performances?
Earning the Opening Day job is a huge accomplishment for a Major League pitcher. The Kansas City Royals have had several pitchers put on top-notch performances when asked to toe the slab on Opening Day.
There have been more good performances than bad when it comes to Opening Day performances, which surprised me a bit considering this team’s history. To qualify for this list, the pitchers had to have allowed one run or fewer and go at least six innings in their first start of the season.
With that said, let’s dive into the best Opening Day starts in Royals history!
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 16: Yordano Ventura (2015)
Coming off a World Series appearance in 2014, the hype was through the roof for the Royals when they began the 2015 season. It only made sense to have Yordano Ventura, or “Ace” as many referred to him as, get the ball on Opening Day in 2015.
The last time Royals fans had watched Ventura pitch prior to this start was when he took the mound in Game 6 of the World Series and dominated the Giants. This allowed the Royals to advance to Game 7 and it was hard not to view Ventura as the ace of the squad after that performance.
When the 2015 season began and Ventura took the mound, he had picked up right where he left off the season prior, throwing fire for six innings and allowing four hits and one run while striking out two batters. The Royals backed up their ace with a 10-1 victory over the White Sox to set the tone for the season.
Ventura’s 2015 numbers were fine, as he finished the year throwing 163.1 innings and sporting a 4.08 ERA. He wasn’t his usual self in that season’s run to the World Series but was still a crucial member of the 2015 squad.
Unfortunately, Ventura never had a chance to truly shine on the big stage, as he tragically passed away in Jan. 2017.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 15: Kevin Appier (1992)
After notching a winning record in 1991, the Royals were hoping to go places in the 1992 season and gave Kevin Appier the ball in their first game of the season. Appier was coming off a very good season for the Royals in which he threw 207.2 innings and had a 3.42 ERA by the season’s end.
Appier started the 1992 season off and looked equally as dominant, pitching six innings. He allowed four hits and one run while striking out three batters, but unfortunately, didn’t get the win, as the Royals fell 5-3 to the Athletics.
Appier did have an outstanding season, however, pitching in 208.1 innings and finishing the 1992 campaign with an ERA of 2.46. He truly is an underappreciated member of the Royals and in baseball in general.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 14: Dick Drago (1971)
The starter for the third Opening Day in Royals history was Dick Drago, who took the mound for the team in their opening game in 1971. Drago was clutch in the Royals’ 4-1 win over the California Angels, spinning nine innings of one-run ball while allowing just six hits and striking out two batters.
Pitchers tended to stay in games longer back when Drago played, so while the nine innings is obviously impressive, it wasn’t as big of an accomplishment back then. Still, Drago allowed just one run in his first game of the season and the Royals started the season off with a victory.
Drago had a fantastic season in 1971, throwing 241.1 innings and finishing with an ERA of 2.98 ERA. He went 17-11 as a starter and really had himself quite the year.
Drago also started on Opening Day the next year and we’ll get to that performance later on. He was the second Royals pitcher to start on Opening Day (Wally Bunker got the nod the first two years) and set the tone for how it’s done.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 13: James Shields (2013)
Royals fans were stoked for Opening Day in 2013, as the Royals had made some big moves during the offseason. The biggest move was trading for Rays pitcher James Shields, who the Royals wanted to come in and be their ace for the next two years.
It was only fitting that Shields got the ball on Opening Day and he set the tone for what it’d be like in Kansas City the next few years. Shields was outstanding in his Royals debut, twirling six innings of one-run ball against the White Sox while allowing eight hits and striking out six batters.
The problem with this performance wasn’t on Shields, as his team couldn’t give him any run support at all. The Royals lost 1-0, but fans felt confident that Shields could be special after this performance. He finished the season with a 3.28 ERA through 228.2 innings pitched and the Royals narrowly missed out on the postseason.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 12: Bud Black (1985)
The Royals were still searching for their first World Series title and would eventually secure their first championship by the end of the 1985 season. Bud Black kicked off the season as their Opening Day starter after coming off two impressive seasons with the Royals.
Black continued to impress to start the ’85 season, throwing 7.2 innings of one-run ball while surrendering four hits and striking out three batters. The Royals won 2-1 over the Blue Jays, making Black’s performance even more stellar considering he didn’t have much run support.
Black didn’t put up as good of numbers in 1985 as he did the previous two years, posting a 4.33 ERA. He did give the Royals innings, however, with 205.2 on his resumé. We know how the Royals’ 1985 season ended and Black helped get the year off to the best possible start.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 11: Danny Duffy (2017)
The 2017 season served as the Royals’ “senior year”, so to speak. A lot of the homegrown players were in the final year of their contracts and the chances of them all returning to Kansas City was unlikely.
Danny Duffy knew it was up to him to get this season off on the right foot and he delivered. Duffman pitched six innings and gave up just three hits and one run while striking out eight batters.
Unfortunately, the Royals’ bullpen melted down, allowing six runs and giving KC a 7-1 loss to the Twins to open up their emotional season. It was a huge letdown because of how well Duffy had pitched, as it seemed like a wasted outing by the Royals’ best starter.
Duffy went on to have one of his best seasons in 2017, pitching 146.1 innings and sporting a 3.81 ERA. The Royals, unfortunately, finished the year with a losing record. Duffy has since pitched on Opening Day in two other seasons but never matched what he did in his first-ever Opening Day start.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 10: Dick Drago (1972)
I said we’d get to Dick Drago’s other Opening Day performance and here it is! After dazzling the league in 1971, Drago was a no-brainer to have start for the Royals in their first game of the season the following year.
He outdid his previous Opening Day achievement one year earlier, but mostly in the strikeout department. Drago had essentially the same numbers (nine innings, six hits, one run) but struck out six batters as opposed to the two he had the previous year.
Drago had a respectable campaign in 1972, twirling 239.1 innings and ending that season with a 3.02 ERA. The Royals finished the season two games under .500, but Drago was definitely one of the bright spots of the team.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 9: Gil Meche (2007)
Ahhh, Gil Meche. For those of you who are new to the Royals’ fan club, let me tell you a little bit about Gil Meche.
Meche had never really put up big numbers with the Mariners — who spent their first-round pick on him in the 1996 draft and that’s what made the Royals giving him a five-year deal worth $55 million (the largest in franchise history at the time) so shocking.
With that kind of money, Meche was obviously named the Opening Day starter for the 2007 season and that gave Royals fans their first glimpse at their newest addition. Meche performed well, pitching 7.1 innings and surrendering six hits and one run while striking out six batters. It was the kind of performance the Royals were hoping to see from their expensive acquisition and he delivered.
Meche was the Royals’ lone All-Star representative in 2007 and had respectable numbers. He threw 216 innings and had a 3.67 ERA through 34 starts. The Royals looked to finally have their ace, but they were still really bad, finishing the season with 93 losses. You know a team is bad when simply not losing 100 games is an accomplishment.
This won’t be the last time that Meche appears on this list.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 8: Dennis Leonard (1979)
Coming off their third straight ALCS loss (to the Yankees nonetheless), the Royals were hoping to finally get past their postseason woes and make a splash. They entered the 1979 season with Dennis Leonard — their second-round pick in the 1972 draft — as their No. 1 pitcher.
Leonard excelled on the mound on Opening Day, throwing six scoreless innings and allowing just six hits while striking out four batters. The Royals won a narrow 2-1 contest over the White Sox, making Leonard’s performance that much more spectacular.
Leonard had been a great pitcher leading up to the 1979 season, but this was one of his weaker campaigns, as he finished the year with a 4.08 ERA through 236 innings.
The Royals finished the 1979 season with a winning record but unfortunately did not make the postseason.
Leonard had four total Opening Day starts, but the performance he had in 1979 was by far his best. He’s not only responsible for one of the best Opening Day showings by a Royals pitcher, but Leonard is one of the best pitchers in Royals history.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 7: Gil Meche (2009)
It’s Gil Meche again! Two years after his sensational start on Opening Day, Meche had another Opening Day gem for the boys in blue. Before we dive more into that, let’s tackle where the Royals were at entering the 2009 season.
The team was trending in the right direction, winning six more games than they won in 2008 and looking like they were slowly, but surely rounding the corner. Meche was entering the third year of his massive contract and for the most part, he had performed well enough to merit his contract.
Meche looked to be on his way to another impressive season after what he did on Opening Day in 2009. The $55 million-man threw seven innings and surrendered just one run off of seven hits while striking out six guys. He didn’t walk any batters.
Unfortunately, the Royals lost this one as they did most games in the 2009 season, and Meche’s performance went to waste.
The Royals regressed big time in 2009, winning just 65 games. Meche had a miserable year despite his heroics in the first game of the season, sporting an ugly 5.09 ERA. After an even worse season in 2010, Meche honorably retired, letting the Royals off the hook for the final year of his contract.
What a guy.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 6: Bruce Chen (2012)
Bruce Chen might be one of the most popular Royals and that’s saying something considering how bad they were when he first joined the team in 2009.
By 2012, Chen had done enough to earn the Opening Day start (he had a 3.77 ERA in 2011) and had Royals fans all kinds of impressed with his outing. Chen twirled six scoreless innings and gave up just three hits while striking out four batters.
Unfortunately, the Royals weren’t quite ready to compete yet and didn’t give Chen any run support. The team went on to lose 5-0 to the Angels and wasted a valiant effort from Chen in his only Opening Day start with Kansas City.
The rest of the season went mostly south for Chen, as he had a 5.07 ERA but pitched in a career-high 34 games. Chen is one of those random players who Royals fans were always fond of and enjoyed watching, even when he wasn’t good.
Chen spent the next two years with the Royals and pitched in two games for Cleveland in 2015. That was it for the 2012 Royals Opening Day starter in the major leagues.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 5: Runelvys Hernandez (2003)
After one major league season under his belt, Runelvys Hernandez got the call for Opening Day in 2003 and delivered masterfully. Hernandez pitched six scoreless innings while only surrendering two hits and recording five strikeouts. The Royals won the game 3-0.
The 2003 season was an outlier for the Royals during what was otherwise a very dark time for the organization. This was the first time in a decade where the team posted a winning record and brought some joy to Royals fans.
Hernandez might have been great in his first game of the season, but his 2003 campaign wasn’t one for the books. He finished the ’03 crusade with an ERA of 4.61 in 91.2 innings of work. He missed the entire 2004 season due to injury and never was an effective pitcher again.
His final season in the majors came in 2008 as a member of the Astros. He had an ERA over eight that year and didn’t pitch in the big leagues ever again.
Hernandez might not have been a great pitcher during his MLB career, but he put on one of the greatest Opening Day performances in Royals history.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 4: Edinson Volquez (2016)
The Royals were the reigning World Series champions heading into the 2016 season and were determined to keep the crown in Kansas City. That’s why there was so much pressure riding on Edinson Volquez on Opening Day to get the season off to the best possible start.
Volquez had shone as the Royals’ ace in 2015 and it was an obvious decision to have him be the team’s starter on Opening Day. He picked right back up where he had left off in the World Series, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just two hits while striking out five batters.
The Royals went on to win 4-3 over the Mets (the same team they had beat in the World Series less than six months prior) and got a W in their first game of the season. Unfortunately for Volquez, his season went downhill and he posted an ugly 5.37 ERA when the year was said and done.
Volquez has since pitched for the Marlins and Rangers. In 2017, he pitched his first-ever no-hitter on what would have been Yordano Ventura’s 26th birthday. It was a cool moment not just for Royals fans (even though he did it as a Marlin), but for all of baseball.
Kansas City missed the postseason in 2016 and didn’t have a chance to repeat as World Series champions, but Volquez’s Opening Day start that year was certainly one of the most important in franchise history.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 3: Brad Keller (2019)
The Royals were looking to rebound from their worst season since 2005 and gave the ball to Brad Keller on Opening Day in 2019. Keller had just joined the team the previous year and was initially used out of the bullpen, but found his way into the rotation due to injuries to other starters.
Keller remained in the rotation for the rest of his rookie year and was the easy pick to have as the team’s starter in their first game of the season. It was a wise decision too, as Keller threw seven scoreless innings while conceding just two hits and striking out five. It truly was a performance for the ages.
The Royals defeated the White Sox 5-3 and all seemed good in the world for that day. Unfortunately, the rest of the season didn’t pan out well for the Royals, as they once again dropped 100 games.
Keller also struggled through 165.1 innings of work and his final ERA for 2019 was 4.19. He rebounded nicely in 2020 and the hope is that Keller will continue to be the ace the Royals know he can be as he continues his career in the major leagues.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 2: Tim Belcher (1998)
After making a name for himself elsewhere, Tim Belcher landed with the Royals in 1996 and pitched there for the next three years. He got the nod to start on Opening Day in 1998 despite sporting an ERA over five the previous season.
Belcher wowed in his first game of the 1998 MLB season, twirling seven scoreless innings while yielding three hits. He notched six strikeouts and didn’t walk a single batter. The Royals won 4-1 over the Orioles and Belcher definitely set the tone for what an Opening Day performance should look like.
The rest of his season wasn’t as stellar, as he had a 4.27 ERA through 234 innings of work. He started 34 games that year and parlayed that into another two years with the Angels, where he finished out the remainder of his career.
There are some pretty random names on this list, but Tim Belcher has to be one of the most random. He was never a great pitcher during his time in Kansas City, but his Opening Day performance in 1998 is one that still tops the charts.
Kansas City Royals Best Opening Day Starts – No. 1: Kevin Appier (1995)
The best Opening Day performance in Kansas City Royals history goes to Kevin Appier, who is making his second appearance on this list. In total, Appier started a total of seven Opening Days for the Royals, including six straight.
One of those six straight starts came in 1995, which wasn’t just Appier’s best Opening Day performance, but the best in franchise history. Appier dazzled through 6.2 innings without surrendering a run or a hit. He recorded seven strikeouts in the 5-1 Royals victory over the Orioles.
The Royals were competitive in 1995 but ultimately finished the season under .500. Appier had another top-notch season that year and even made it to the All-Star Game. He finished with a 3.89 ERA through 201.1 innings and while the numbers were good, 1995 wasn’t anywhere close to being his best season.
No Royals fan who followed the team in the 90s should be all that surprised to see Appier at the top of this list. He truly was one of the best Royals of the decade and continues to be one of their more impressive players to this day.
Who did you think would be No. 1 on this list when you first started reading?