The Royals left-hander pitched into the sixth inning on Sunday and made his case for a bigger role in 2027.
Pitcher Daniel Lynch IV did not get a decision in the last game of the season, but the Kansas City Royals got the start they needed from him in a 3-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.
Lynch went a season-high 5 1/3 innings, and after the game he talked about where he wants to be when next season starts.
Closed the Year on a Good Note
Lynch gave up two runs on seven hits, walked nobody and struck out two.
Third baseman Daniel Schneemann hit a solo homer off him in the third, and right fielder Jo Adell tied the game 2-2 with a solo shot in the sixth, which ended Lynch's day one batter later.
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino then hit his second solo homer of the game in the eighth to break the tie, and pitcher Lucas Erceg picked up his 13th save.
It was much better than his previous start, a rough night against the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 22 when he gave up nine earned runs in four innings, and he bounced back with his longest start of the year.
The win left Kansas City at 69-93, last in the American League Central.
Lynch Wants to Stay in the Rotation
Lynch spent most of the season in the bullpen, and he was very good there, with a 1.96 ERA over 46 innings in relief.
The Royals moved him into the rotation in August because of injuries, and the results as a starter were uneven, with a 6.53 ERA in 10 starts.
Kansas City still went 6-4 in those games, and he finished the season with a 4.08 ERA in 86 innings.
Lynch said after the game, according to the Kansas City Star, that he knows he has work to do, but he still believes he belongs in a rotation.
"I think just getting a little taste of it, there's a lot of differences, a lot of stuff I need to work on the mental side and physical side," Lynch said. "But I think, if I'm going to be as good as I can be, I think I can be a good starter in this league."
That is the right way to look at it, and he has been changing the conversation about his future since he moved into the rotation.
A Big Decision for the Royals
The problem for Kansas City is that it needs help in both places.
The bullpen finished 29th in the majors with a 5.07 ERA, and the Royals used 37 pitchers this season, a franchise record, according to MLB.com.
The same report said pitcher Cole Ragans and three other injured starters are not expected to be ready by the end of spring training.
That makes Lynch a useful piece either way, but the Royals should keep him in the bullpen.
His numbers in relief were far better, and a team that kept shuffling its relievers all year needs arms it can trust in the seventh and eighth innings.
Still, if the front office cannot find enough starters this winter, Lynch has shown he can give them five innings, and that could matter a lot next spring.
