The Kansas City Royals surprised many last season by becoming a playoff team for the first time since the franchise won its second World Series title in 2015. Much of that success was due to Cole Ragans’ emergence on the mound.
Acquired midseason from Texas in 2023, the lefty went 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 32 starts. His 223 strikeouts were second in the league, and he finished fourth in the American League’s Cy Young balloting.
Our Missouri sports betting experts wanted to learn more about the Royals starter. Utilizing BaseballReference.com, we developed the statistics his best month of the season. The statistics were averaged from the last 3 seasons including 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Cole Ragans’ Best Month of The Season
Month | Win % | Innings | ERA | SO/9 | BA |
March/April | .571 | 47.1 | 3.99 | 10.8 | 0.257 |
May | .400 | 40.2 | 3.76 | 10.4 | 0.196 |
June | .250 | 39.0 | 3.69 | 10.6 | 0.211 |
July | .667 | 30.2 | 3.23 | 8.8 | 0.233 |
August | .545 | 88.0 | 3.07 | 10.8 | 0.217 |
Sept./Oct. | .600 | 76.2 | 3.40 | 9.0 | 0.202 |
Ragans earned his first All-Star appearance in 2024, thanks largely to his performance in May and June last season. While his stats over the past three years show him to be a second-half performer, he posted a 3.27 earned-run average over May and June last season. In 66 innings, Ragans struck out 80 batters and scattered 49 hits.
Kansas City likes Ragans so much that the team inked the 27-year-old to a three-year deal that covers this season and his first two years of arbitration.
Royals Seeks Another Postseason Run In 2025
The Royals posted an 86-56 record last season, a 30-game improvement from 2023. Another 30-game jump in unlikely, but KC is in position to improve upon last season. They acquired Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds to serve as their leadoff hitter this season and resigned Michael Wacha, who went 13-8 last season on the mound.
DraftKings gives the team odds of +110 to reach the playoffs for a second straight season. Those are the eighth shortest odds among American League teams. The sportsbook also expects the Royals to win at least 85 games, giving the squad even odds to accomplish that.
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Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
