Kansas City Royals still miss Yordano Ventura in rotation
By David Hill
Yordano Ventura would have turned 27 years old today. The Kansas City Royals still miss their Ace.
Yordano Ventura and Danny Duffy were supposed to lead the Kansas City Royals rotation for the rest of the decade. They had both been signed to long term extensions, two home grown prospects that had come to find success in the majors. They had brought another World Series to the Royals, and together, would help make sure that window of opportunity remained open.
However, tragedy struck on January 22, 2017. Ventura was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic at just 25 years old. Tragically, he was not the only player with MLB connections to pass away that day – Andy Marte was also killed in a separate accident in the Domincan as well.
These days, the Royals may only be three years removed from postseason glory, but it feels much further away. They were 20-37 heading into Saturday’s action, 10.5 games out of the AL Central. Their pitching has been atrocious, with the rotation posting a 5.42 ERA, 25th in baseball. As it is, the Royals 5.45 overall ERA is the worst in the American League, a major reason why they are plummeting to the cellar.
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One cannot help but feel that the Royals still miss Ventura. Jason Hammel was signed to take his place in the rotation, but has been a disaster in Kansas City. In his 245.2 innings, Hammel has a 5.28 ERA and a 1.425 WHiP, not the return that the Royals hoped for on their $16 million investment. Even Duffy has not been the same, with his strikeout rate declining and walk rate rising over the past two years.
It also makes one wonder what could have been in Kansas City. Jakob Junis has been a revelation this season, and would have been an excellent third option behind the duo of Duffy and Ventura. Instead, he has needed to step up this season, and has easily become the best pitcher in the rotation. Perhaps he can continue his development, and become that second option to Duffy in the coming years.
The rest of the roster may have turned out much different as well. The Royals may have had more interest in retaining Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain, keeping that core together to continue their run. Kansas City had the foundation for the rest of the 2010s, only to see it come to a premature end with Ventura’s passing.
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The Kansas City Royals have yet to find their way back from Yordano Ventura’s passing. On what would have been his 27th birthday, and the first season of his hypothetical prime, the Royals performance just hammers that point home even more.