For many Royals fans, Richard Lovelady was supposed to be the beginning - or maybe the end! - of the next HDH. He was the best performer in a farm system bereft of talent and it wasn’t even close. By age 21 in 2017 he was promoted to AA where he had a 2.16 ERA in 33.1 innings. People loved the nickname. He was destined to be a star! When could they call him up?
2018 saw Lovelady arrive in Omaha where he pitched the entire season. He didn’t start well but by the end of the year, he’d lowered his ERA back down to a terrific 2.