Ragans has been excellent all year. His FIP of 3.00 is the lowest of any Kansas City starter and he finished fifth in the majors with 223 strikeouts. Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Brady Singer formed one of the best pitching rotations in MLB this year. As a group, Royals starters ranked second with an ERA of 3.55.

After a wild finish to the MLB regular season that saw several races go down to the wire, the 2024 MLB Playoffs officially start with the Wild Card Round on Tuesday, Oct. 1. After 162 games, only 12 teams remain. Some are familiar faces, while others are complete surprises making their first postseason appearances in years.

Meanwhile, Seth Lugo proved to be an absolute free-agency steal, finishing 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA and 181 strikeouts. Southpaw Cole Ragans also delivered in his first full season, posting a 3.14 ERA and 223 strikeouts over 186 1/3 innings.