Royals Starter Primed to Win Cy Young According to Former MLB Pitcher

The Royals' mid-season acquisition of Cole Ragans from the Texas Rangers proved to be one of the best trades in recent memory, as the 26-year-old southpaw burst onto the scene with a 2.64 ERA in 12 starts with 89 strikeouts to just 27 walks.

It was one of the most impressive stretches by any Royals pitcher we've ever seen. The world took notice, and former MLB pitcher Jensen Lewis believes Ragans could win the Cy Young in 2024.

See what he had to say below.

Former MLB Pitcher Predicts Cole Ragans Will Win Cy Young

Currently listed at +2500 to win the Cy Young at FanDuel Sportsbook, Ragans' second half of the season was certainly award-worthy.

On the season as a whole, he ranked in the 85th percentile in strikeout percentage and expected batting average, 89th in fastball velocity, and 97th in offspeed run value, per Baseball Savant. That helped Ragans allow three or fewer runs in 10 of his first 11 starts with the Royals with an absurd 53 strikeouts in 36.2 innings during August.

The AL Central is projected to be the worst division in baseball, so Ragans will have the benefit of facing lighter lineups relative to his competition like Gerrit Cole in the AL East. He struggled a bit with command in his last few starts, raising legitimate questions about whether he can keep up that effectiveness with the workload of a full season.

Either way, it's incredible that a Royals starter is even being mentioned as a potential candidate, let alone one most of us had never even heard of until last summer.

If Ragans starts the season hot, his odds won't stay this high for long. FanDuel Sportsbook is letting you take a swing on Ragans with any $5 bet (with a $10 deposit) and you'll get $150 in bonus bets if he wins! Sign up for FanDuel now and get set for a special year with Ragans on the mound.

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