Kansas City Royals: The mixed legacy of Luke Hochevar

Luke Hochevar has very quietly called it a career. He leaves behind a mixed legacy with the Kansas City Royals.

When the Kansas City Royals drafted Luke Hochevar with the first overall pick in 2006, the hope was that he would become key part of the Royals revival. As it turned out, he was, just not in the way anyone expected.

In a draft without a clearcut top pick, Hochevar appeared to have been the correct selection. He rocketed through the Royals system, a consensus top 35 prospect who reached the majors after just 34 games in the minors. In his brief debut in 2007, he appeared to be ready for the majors, posting a 2.13 ERA and a 1.184 WHiP over his 12.1 innings to close out the season.

Heading into 2008, there was hope that the Royals would have  trio of pitchers that would help bring them back to contention. With Hochevar joining Gil Meche and fellow youngster Zack Greinke atop the rotation, and an excellent young closer in Joakim Soria, those goals appeared to be more than just a pipe dream.

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However, Hochevar struggled in his rookie campaign. He made 22 appearances over the course of the year, posting a 5.51 ERA and a 1.473 WHiP over 129 innings. Although he did a great job of keeping the ball in the yard, allowing just 12 homers, he issued 47 walks with only 72 strikeouts. However, it was just his first full major league season, and at 24 years old, there were bound to be some growing pains.

That hoped for breakthrough never came. While Greinke became a Cy Young winner in 2009, and Soria continued to be one of the best closers in the game, Hochevar continued to struggle. As bad as 2008 was, he was even worse that following year, as the dreams of his being a top of the rotation starter faded.

As Hochevar continued to settle into mediocrity as a starter, the second guessing of his selection grew louder. The Royals were lambasted for the selection, especially as Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, and Max Scherzer developed into stars. Hochevar, meanwhile, continued to be hit hard, settling in as a back of the rotation arm.

Even that proved to be too much. In 2012, Hochevar had a miserable season, posting a 8-16 record, along with a 5.73 ERA and a 1.419 WHiP. He did strike out a career best 144 batters in his 185.1 innings, but he also led the league with 118 earned runs and allowed 202 hits. Hochevar just was not cut out to be a part of the starting rotation.

With the Royals having brought in James Shields and Wade Davis to fortify the rotation prior to 2013, Hochevar found himself without a role. He was sent to the bullpen, serving as a long reliever, the damning finality that Hochevar was a bust. It was a matter of time before the Royals moved on.

Instead, Hochevar became a surprisingly effective weapon in the bullpen. As Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland set the foundation for what would become a truly fearsome bullpen. Hochevar proved to be a part of that, reinventing himself as another flamethrower, as he posted a 1.92 ERA and a 0.825 WHiP, striking out 82 batters in 70.1 innings. The Royals had finally found a place where the former first overall pick could thrive.

Kansas City Royals

Again, success proved to be fleeting. Hochevar needed Tommy John surgery after his breakout performance, sidelining him for the 2014 campaign. Not only was he unable to build off of his success, but he missed the Royals magical season that year. As they broke their postseason slump, and swept through the American League playoffs, Hochevar was relegated to the role of a spectator, unable to make a difference in the Royals agonizing defeat in seven games.

The Royals took a leap of faith after that season, handing Hochevar a two year deal worth $10 million. The hope was that adding Hochevar to a bullpen that had already established the dominant Herrera/Davis/Holland trio would lead to another postseason appearance, and possibly a different result in the World Series.

Not only did the Royals find their way back to the postseason, and take home their first championship in 30 years, but Hochevar was able to pick up where he left off. He was not as dominant, but he posted a solid 3.73 ERA and a 1.283 WHiP, part of an incredibly deep bullpen that was the envy of baseball. Hochevar was stellar in the postseason, allowing just seven baserunners in his 10.2 shutout innings. Even though the Royals took a step back in 2016, Hochevar continued to pitch well, establishing himself as a solid reliever.

Unfortunately, just as Hochevar was on a successful run, injuries struck again. He needed to undergo surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, sidelining him for the 2017 campaign. The hope was that he would be ready to pitch again in 2018, but the pain never subsided. Instead of cashing in as teams have attempted to build their own super bullpen, Hochevar was forced into retirement, as even throwing out a ceremonial first pitch proved to be painful.

That retirement leaves behind a mixed legacy. Hochevar never became the ace that the Royals thought they had drafted, a pitcher that could bring them to the playoffs. While Hochevar did become a key part of a World Series winning team, it was in a relief role. With the benefit of hindsight, his selection looked awful, especially as the Royals struggled to find an actual ace, but he did fill a vital role in 2015.

Luke Hochevar has called it a career, forced into retirement due to injury. He may not have been an ace for the Kansas City Royals, but he did help bring home a title. In the end, that was what the Royals hoped for when they drafted him.