Kansas City Royals name fifth starter; just 2 roster spots remain ahead of opener

Alec Marsh smiled as he reflected on his Major League Baseball journey. Just last year, Marsh was a rookie trying to figure things out.

There were highlight moments, such as his 11-strikeout performance against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. But there were also times when Marsh looked out of sorts. In his major-league debut, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts welcomed him to the bigs with a two-homer night.

Marsh persevered through it all. This offseason, he regained his confidence and entered spring training as a changed pitcher. Marsh looked different and all his teammates knew it.

Marsh had yet to prove it on the mound, but that didn’t take long. He’s posted a 3.57 ERA in six Cactus League appearances, allowing seven earned runs and striking out 20 batters in 17 2/3 innings.

The Royals were impressed with his aggressive demeanor on the mound. Marsh attacked opposing lineups with first-pitch strikes. He was efficient and showed command with his full arsenal.

On Thursday the Royals made it official, declaring Marsh their fifth starter after a lengthy spring competition.

“It’s awesome and a good feeling,” Marsh said. “It feels like it’s been a long time coming. I feel like the last couple of years, I got beat down a lot. Just on and off the field, dealing with stuff and getting through it.

“And just going back to the basics, kind of getting my head straight, coming back and having a good spring. I had a good end to the year last year. To keep that going is going to be important.”

Marsh beat out Jordan Lyles, Daniel Lynch IV, Angel Zerpa and Anthony Veneziano for the fifth-starter’s role. Lyles and Zerpa were moved to the bullpen while the Royals optioned Lynch and Veneziano to Triple-A Omaha.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro told Marsh the news Wednesday. Marsh was excited for the opportunity and compared it to getting called up a year ago.

He stopped short of qualifying the moment as validation, instead saying he was right where he needed to be.

“I feel like I’m capable of doing it,” he said. “It wasn’t too much of a surprise because that’s where I see myself being and that’s where I want to be. It’s kind of something like, alright let’s go. It’s go time. I’m going to come out strong and start the season strong. Can’t wait for it.”

Marsh will enter the 2024 season with a refined repertoire. He throws a fastball, sweeper, curveball and changeup as his primary pitches. This spring, he worked to develop the changeup with the help of KC’s pitching coaches.

Marsh wanted to release his changeup in a similar fashion as he does his fastball. He tinkered with different grips and found one that suited him. Then, he worked to get his velocity down.

He accomplished that task in Thursday’s start against the Cleveland Guardians. Marsh saw his changeup velocity sit around 87-88 mph — the sweet spot he’s looked for in camp.

“(I was) seeing swings on it,” he said. “Seeing a couple of swings-and-miss and some ground balls. That’s what we want with that pitch.”

Marsh now slots into KC’s rotation alongside Cole Ragans, Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Brady Singer. The Royals have yet to reveal their order beyond the fact that Ragans will be the opening day starter and Marsh has the fifth spot.

“Expectations have always been high for him,” Quatraro said of Marsh. “You know, we saw him make really good strides at the end of last year. He came into camp and continued to make those strides. Not only with his stuff ticking up, but with his command, his composure and all that kind of stuff. So, we think he is really just kind of scratching the surface.”

The Royals have just two more roster spots to fill. They must decide on their final bench player and last member of the bullpen. Multiple players are battling to solidify roles as spring training concludes this week.

“Yeah, it’s going to come down to the wire,” Quatraro said.