The emergence of Danny Duffy as a legitimate No. 1 starter was a godsend for Kansas City last season as the 27-year-old lefty finally put everything together. Duffy ended the year with a 3.51 ERA and 188 strikeouts over 179.2 innings – and solved the Royals seemingly never-ending search for a true ace.
With Duffy entrenched atop the rotation for the 2017 season, Yordano Ventura is slated to be the Royals’ No. 2 starter and innings-eating Ian Kennedy is solidly in the No. 3 spot.
But who the heck will be the Royals’ No.