SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A familiar and welcome sight greeted those watching the bullpen mound at the Royals’ Spring Training facility on Wednesday, the first official workout for pitchers and catchers this spring.
Kansas City’s top two lefties slinging fastballs and dropping in breaking balls.
Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, both of whom missed significant time last season with rotator cuff strains, are healthy with no restrictions this spring. For the Royals to get to where they want to go in 2026, they need a much healthier rotation than they had in ‘25. That begins with Ragans pitching like their ace and Bubic pitching like the All-Star he was during the first half of ‘25.
“Pitching wins, and we feel really good about the depth and the quality of our starters,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “For them to be healthy -- those are guys we’re going to rely on heavily.”
Ragans had an injury-riddled year that began with a left groin strain in May and a rotator cuff strain in June, the latter of which had him sidelined until late September. He returned to make three starts at the end of the year, giving him peace of mind as he entered the offseason healthy. Ragans went to Tread Athletics again for his offseason program, and he’s incorporating more exercises into his recovery routine to hopefully keep injuries at bay.
Now he’s ready to put last year behind him. Ragans is so focused on the upcoming season with the Royals that he turned down an invitation to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. It was hard to turn down but was what Ragans called “the right decision.”
“Would it be an insane experience?” Ragans said. “Abso-freaking-lutely. But just after last year, after being hurt, I think it’s the best decision to stay back. I want to be healthy. I want to have a good buildup. I want to be strong going into the season, and I want to be strong in October.”
It wasn’t easy turning down Team USA coach Mark DeRosa, who originally called Ragans with the invite, and bullpen coach David Ross, who saw Ragans right after the invite was extended at a golf tournament. The idea of playing with Bobby Witt Jr. and a loaded USA roster was alluring. But so is the idea of a full season of health and pitching in the postseason again. Ragans didn’t want to put either at risk.
“At the end of the day, this is what’s important -- this team,” Ragans said as he looked around the Royals’ clubhouse. “And my health. I’m going to put all my focus into that and this season and October.”
Bubic, too, is focused on staying on the mound a full season -- something he hasn’t had since pre-Tommy John surgery in early 2023. A source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that the the 28-year-old won his arbitration hearing ($6.15 million) against the Royals on Wednesday, so now he can truly focus on what’s ahead this year. It’s his last before he hits free agency next offseason.
“My career hasn’t been a straight line,” Bubic said. “Just to get to this point, I’ve already had to reflect on a lot and change a lot. For me, it’s just staying in the present. I know that’s cliché, but you go out there, take care of the day to day, and you prioritize health -- the rest will take care of itself. This is the only place I’ve ever known, so that’s where my focus is. It’s a joy to be around these guys every day.”
After pitching like a Cy Young contender in the first half of ‘25, with a 2.48 ERA across 108 2/3 innings and 18 starts, Bubic made two starts after the All-Star Game before his left rotator cuff strain shut him down for the remainder of the season.
Like Ragans, Bubic’s shoulder injury didn’t require surgery. He began throwing again in mid-November and got off the mound for the first time in January, all fairly normal checkpoints in the offseason. Also like Ragans, Bubic is adding new things into his recovery and routine in between his throwing days to fend off injury.
Everything is about staying on the mound this year.
“We want to be out there,” Bubic said. “Cole is as competitive as it gets as well. We want to be out there playing with our guys every fifth day. We want to be part of it. I know we fell short of the playoffs last year, but we feel like there’s no reason we can’t get there again and succeed.”