(Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)
Jackson Kowar’s debut for the KC Royals Monday night definitely wasn’t something to behold. Pitching against the American League West Division’s fourth-place Angels, Kowar didn’t survive the first inning. Los Angeles took full advantage of his control and command problems, his three wild pitches, and the three hits and two walks he gave up in just two-thirds of an inning. They scored four runs off the rookie, enough for an 8-3 win.
But how does the young righthander’s first regular season exposure to major league hitters compare to those of the Royals’ top all-time starters, the half-dozen hurlers—Paul Splittorff, Dennis Leonard, Mark Gubicza, Kevin Appier, Larry Gura and Bret Saberhagen—who won at least 100 games for Kansas City?