After the Royals fired pitching coach Cal Eldred in the fall of 2022, the organization brought in Brian Sweeney and Zach Bove to eagerly overhaul the pitching coaching and overall philosophy. While the long-term results were most important, Royals fans awaited the early returns just the same, and Kris Bubic quickly became a revelation.
Bubic was drafted alongside Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, and Jonathan Bowlan as highly touted college pitching prospects in the 2018 MLB draft. He made his debut in the shortened 2020 season, and his first three years were rocky to say the least.