KANSAS CITY – Six years ago, Kris Bubic made his Major League debut on July 31, 2020, which also happened to be the Royals’ home opener in that pandemic-shortened season.
He allowed two earned runs in four innings that day in front of an empty stadium and cardboard cutouts.
Fast forward to Monday afternoon. Cardboard cutouts are a thing of the past. Bubic is an experienced Major League starter now, embarking on his final season before free agency. And he started the Royals’ home opener yet again – this time in front of 39,320 Royals fans packing The K.
They got what they came for: A Royals 3-1 win over the Twins, and a Bubic gem. The lefty threw six innings of one-run ball, allowing just two hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
It was yet another quality start from a Royals rotation member to begin the season after Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo both held the Braves scoreless this past weekend in Atlanta. Kansas City couldn’t have asked for much more from its rotation to begin the season and has to feel good about sending Noah Cameron out to the mound to round out the first turn through on Wednesday.
But Monday was all about Bubic, who started a Major League game for the first time since July 26, 2025, after which he was diagnosed with a left rotator cuff strain and missed the rest of last season. He’s back healthy now and continues to be a key piece of this Royals team in ‘26, and Monday showed why.
Bubic navigated the windy conditions at Kauffman Stadium deftly, only getting hurt by Matt Wallner’s solo home run in the second inning, a Statcast-projected 424-foot no-doubter on a hanging sweeper. Bubic did work around the three walks but never allowed a runner to touch second base until a wild pitch in the sixth inning.
Once Bubic exited after six innings and 75 pitches, the bullpen stepped up, with both Daniel Lynch IV and Nick Mears tossing scoreless innings in their season debuts. Down one reliever with Carlos Estévez nursing a left foot contusion and manager Matt Quatraro wanting to stay away from back-to-back-to-back days from Matt Strahm and Lucas Erceg, John Schreiber took over for the ninth and notched the save.
The staff was backed by home runs from Kyle Isbel (two-run shot) and Isaac Collins, whose 400-foot blast in the seventh was his first hit as a Royal.