Fantasy baseball: 2020 Kansas City Royals fantasy preview

2020 Kansas City Royals projected starting rotation

Danny Duffy, LHP (7-6, 4.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 115 K in 23 starts)
Brad Keller, RHP (7-14, 4.19 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 122 K in 28 starts)
Jake Junis, RHP (9-14, 5.24 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 164 K in 31 starts)
Mike Montgomery, LHP (2-7, 4.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 51 K in 13 starts)
Jorge Lopez, RHP (4-9, 6.33 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 109 K in 18 starts)
Ian Kennedy, RHP (3-2, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 73 K, 30/34 saves)

This staff was terrible last year and isn’t much better this year. They also lost their veteran in Homer Bailey. Glenn Sparkman is around if anyone falters, but his 6.02 ERA in 23 starts last year doesn’t inspire confidence. His 1.08 ERA in 8.1 spring innings is promising though.

Keller, Montgomery, and Lopez did not pitch well in the spring. Lopez was solid enough to hold a slot in the rotation and Duffy looked good in his two starts. Duffy is worth a later round pick. He was one of the better prospects in this system for a while.

There is a chance that Kennedy loses his grip on the closer role, and it may not be Greg Holland that takes the job. Randy Rosario had three saves and a hold without allowing a run in six spring innings. Kennedy is still the incumbent, but don’t overspend on him. The leash is short with fan-favorite Holland back and with how well Rosario pitched in the spring.

Prospects to watch:

Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar are two of the best the Royals have to offer in a loaded farm system, but neither has pitched an inning above AA and neither were dominant at Northwest Arkansas. It is much more likely that Josh Staumont behind a strong spring takes a rotation slot. He put up a solid 3.72 ERA in 16 bullpen appearances last year. Staumont looks ready.

Keep an eye on Tyler Zuber. It’s likely that Kennedy and/or Holland are targets for a contender at the deadline. Zuber had 21 saves between high-A Wilmington and AA Northwest Arkansas last year. He has a low ERA, a microscopic WHIP, and well over a strikeout per inning. Zuber looks like a future closer. That future could arrive later this season.

There are 26 more of these where this came from! Sports may be on hold, but we will have baseball sometime this season. We here at FanSided Fantasy are going to make sure you’re prepared!