Will Ragans bounce back during the regular season?
The Kansas City Royals are playing the Chicago White Sox on Sunday in a spring training contest. Cole Ragans started the game for Kansas City and struggled once again. While he did strike out five hitters, Ragans surrendered two earned runs across 3.2 innings of work. He also walked two hitters.
Ragans' spring training ERA now sits at 8.44. He is still striking out hitters at a respectable rate, but Ragans is not displaying many signs of his 2024 Cy Young-caliber performance. If anything, Ragans looks more like the pitcher who recorded a 4.67 ERA in 13 starts in 2025.
So, is there reason for serious concern, or is this simply a slow start to the spring?
Should Royals Fans Worry About Cole Ragans' Spring Training Struggles?
It would be easy to write that Ragans will be fine without question. After all, he was one of baseball's best pitchers just two seasons ago.
However, Ragans was limited to 13 outings in 2025 due to injury. He struggled while on the mound. Batters hit .228 against him in 2025, which was Ragans' worst mark since his first big league season in 2022.
So far during 2026 spring training, Ragans has given up a .311 opponents batting average. His WHIP is 1.59, while he's given up 14 hits in his 10 innings pitched. Through four outings, Ragans has yet to find consistency.
We do not want to overreact to a difficult spring training. There have been no shortage of players over the years who have struggled in the spring only to get things going once the regular season begins. If Ragans was coming off a stellar season, there would be no reason for concern. However, his underperformance is now becoming a trend.
It would not be surprising to see Ragans get back on track once the regular season gets underway. There is no denying his high ceiling. Perhaps saying there is reason for serious concern is too much, but there is room for at least a bit of concern at the moment.
The Royals will certainly need Ragans to pitch at a high level in 2026 if they want to compete for an American League Central title. After all, he is their ace. Ragans will attempt to figure things out soon, as Opening Day is right around the corner.
Do you expect Cole Ragans to bounce back during the upcoming 2026 regular season?