As the 2025 season has unfolded, the Kansas City Royals have made noticeable strides offensively. Since the All-Star break, they’ve been one of baseball’s top run-scoring teams, fueling their surge back into the AL Wild Card race.
On the flip side, their once-elite rotation has been undermined by key injuries and the puzzling regression of veteran Seth Lugo. Those setbacks have opened the door for the likes of Rich Hill, Bailey Falter, and Thomas Hatch to log innings in Royals uniforms. Hatch and Hill were veteran arms grinding in Triple-A Omaha on minor-league deals before earning call-ups.
It seemed former Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer might follow that same path, but instead he quietly departed the Royals’ system—and resurfaced with another AL contender in a similar role.