Last year, Royals starting pitchers finished with the worst ERA in the American League (4.76), the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.12), and threw the highest percentage of balls (36.9 percent). Royals pitchers gave up 94 runs in the first inning - only five teams in baseball gave up more runs in the first frame. The Royals hired manager Matt Quatraro and new pitching coach Brian Sweeney hoping they could turn around a pitching staff that has been near the bottom of the league for several seasons. Early on, Quatraro has exuded optimism that they can turn things around.
Spring training battles: The rotation
