Kansas City Royals draft bust calls it a career
The Kansas City Royals knew they were taking a chance with Bubba Starling. Selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, Starling was a raw but toolsy outfielder who had the potential to be superstar if he developed properly.
However, that never happened. Starling just never was able to become that asset the Royals had hoped for. On Tuesday, his baseball odyssey came to an end as he announced his retirement.
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— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) October 26, 2021
Bubba Starling has retired. The 5th overall pick from 2011 announced the news in a Facebook post.
"It's bittersweet because sports have been my forever. My every day. My everything my whole life. ... I can't wait for this next chapter of my life!"
Bubba Starling could never be what Kansas City Royals hoped for
It is easy to look back at that draft and imagine what could have been. Anthony Rendon was selected with the pick immediately following Starling, and Francisco Lindor, Javier Baez, George Springer, and Jose Fernandez all went within in the next ten picks. Starling, with his -1.8 bWAR, was the least valuable player in that draft class.
More Royals. History at the end of the alphabet. light
There was a time when there was plenty of hope that Starling would be a star. He was a consensus top 100 prospect prior to the 2012 and 2013 season, and his professional career began with a great deal of promise. However, his production began to tail off as he progressed through the ranks, as he was unable to develop those raw tools.
Everything seemed to have finally clicked in 2019. Starling finally found success in Triple-A, posting a .806 OPS with seven homers and 11 doubles in his 285 plate appearances. It was possible that Starling was simply a late bloomer, and he was finally ready to fulfill that promise.
That performance led to a chance at the major league level. Unfortunately, Starling was unable to carry over his success, as he posted a disappointing .544 OPS with five homers and eight doubles in his 261 major league plate appearances over the past two seasons.
Starling did have one high point to his career. He was a part of the Team USA Olympic roster this season, winning the silver medal. Maybe his major league career was a disappointment, but he was able to become an Olympic medalist and found his way to the Royals after years of perseverance.
Next. The Royals get return for Danny Duffy. dark
Bubba Starling has announced his retirement. The Kansas City Royals fifth overall selection just never developed into the player they hoped for.