While wearing an armband for a kid battling cancer, Kansas City Royals outfielder Alex Gordon hit a home run and had four hits in a win. By
The first proclamation came the day pitchers and catchers reported to Arizona. Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez anointed Brad Keller the ace of the pitching staff.
Perez wasn’t the only one to voice that confidence in Keller. Veteran starter Danny Duffy also made similar comments. By the time manager Ned Yost named Keller the opening-day starter, it’d practically been rendered a foregone conclusion.
One year in the organization and 20 starts into his big-league career, Keller had already earned that respect from his teammates.