Ragans gets Opening Day nod
Cole Ragans was officially named the Kansas City Royals’ 2026 Opening Day starter — he announced it with full enthusiasm: “I get to start Opening Day!!!!!”. (mlb.com) That confirmation settles a major rotation spot for the Royals as teams lock in Game 1 arms across the league. (cbssports.com)
Ragans will make his third straight Opening Day start for Kansas City, becoming just the sixth pitcher in franchise history to start on Opening Day in three (or more) consecutive seasons alongside Kevin Appier, Gil Meche, Jeff Suppan, Bud Black and Dennis Leonard. (mlb.com) Kansas City opens the 2026 regular season at Truist Park against the Atlanta Braves on March 27, 2026, and Ragans is slated to take the hill for that game. (cbssports.com) In 2025 Ragans recorded 98 strikeouts in 61.2 innings, posting a 14.3 K/9 and a 38.1% strikeout rate — marks highlighted on his MLB player profile as career highs and among the MLB leaders. (mlb.com) Ragans missed a combined 100 games in 2025 after two IL stints — 84 games with a left rotator cuff strain and 16 games with a left groin strain — per his MLB injury history. (mlb.com) He’s under club control via a three‑year, $13.25 million contract extension agreed in February 2025, with reported year‑by‑year payouts of roughly $1.25 million in 2025, $4.5 million in 2026 and $7.5 million in 2027. (mlb.com) With Ragans locked into the Game 1 assignment, the Royals’ early 2026 rotation projects to feature Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Kris Bubic while the fifth starter role remains a spring‑training competition that figures to include Noah Cameron among the leading candidates. (mlb.com)
