Royals starting rotation grades reveal a mixed bag in 2026

Matthew Swigonski of Kings Of Kauffman evaluated the Kansas City Royals' starting rotation for 2026, grading five qualifying pitchers following an injury-plagued 69-93 campaign. With multiple rotation members sidelined by season-ending surgeries, the team struggled for consistency. Michael Wacha earned the top grade of B+ after pitching 200.2 innings across 32 starts, serving as the rotation's primary anchor throughout the year.

Noah Cameron received a B- after leading the pitching staff with 2.8 fWAR and tossing a one-hit shutout. Midseason acquisition Randy Dobnak received a C for his emergency starting contributions, while Daniel Lynch IV was assigned a C- after struggling in his late-season transition from the bullpen. Seth Lugo received a D following a regressive season where he posted a 5.17 ERA over 172.1 innings.