Ragans seemed to appreciate being counted on to start the season for Kansas City.
The Kansas City Royals know who they want on the mound when the 2026 season begins, and it's no surprise that Cole Ragans is their guy.
For the third year in a row, the 28-year-old lefty will take the ball on Opening Day when Kansas City travels to Atlanta to face the Braves on March 27.
"It's something that I don't take for granted or don't take lightly," Ragans said. "Just for them to have the belief in me to go out there and get us going means a lot."
Why the Royals Picked Ragans
The decision was about as straightforward as it gets.
When Ragans is healthy, he is one of the best pitchers in the American League, and the Royals have seen that with their own eyes.
In 2024, Ragans went 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA across 32 starts while striking out 223 batters, which earned him his first All-Star selection and a fourth-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.
Manager Matt Quatraro did not hesitate when talking about the decision, calling Ragans a frontline starter and saying the team is better the more starts he makes.
With Ragans making his third straight Opening Day start, he becomes just the sixth pitcher in Royals history to do it in three or more consecutive seasons.
The fact that Kansas City refused to include him in trade talks this past offseason tells you everything about how they view him.
A Rough 2025 Behind Him
Last season was one Ragans would rather forget.
He was limited to just 13 starts after dealing with a left groin strain and then a left rotator cuff strain that landed him on the 60-day injured list and kept him out for more than three months.
His ERA ballooned to 4.67 across those limited innings, but the numbers underneath the surface told a different story, as his 2.42 FIP suggested he was pitching far better than his results showed.
Ragans came back for three starts in September and looked sharp, posting a 2.77 ERA with a 22-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 13 innings.
The Royals finished the 2025 season at 82-80 and missed the postseason, which only added fuel to the fire for Ragans heading into the offseason.
What Ragans Can Be in 2026
If Ragans stays healthy, there is no reason he cannot get back to being one of the top arms in the American League.
Former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy went as far as saying that a healthy Ragans wins the AL Cy Young in 2026, and that kind of praise speaks to the talent level everyone already knows is there.
Ragans has overhauled his offseason routine this winter, putting extra focus on his nutrition, conditioning and throwing program to make sure he can hold up over a full season.
"I'm more motivated than ever," Ragans said. "Last year didn't go the way we wanted to, especially me personally and obviously as a team."
The Royals have real postseason goals in 2026, and their chances go up dramatically if Ragans can make 30-plus starts like he did two years ago.
Kansas City's rotation behind him includes Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic, but Ragans is the one who sets the tone for the entire staff.
If the lefty can stay on the mound and pitch like the ace he showed he could be in 2024, the Royals are going to be a tough out in the AL Central.