I exaggerated a little bit. The Kansas City Royals don’t have a Cy Young candidate – darkhorse, front-runner or otherwise. However, would you have read about the Kansas City Royals’ budding ace if I said something like “Kansas City Royals Have a Solid Starting Pitcher for 2012″? Of course not. Anyway, after being drafted No. 1 overall in 2006 and struggling to a 5.29 ERA through 2011, Luke Hochevar might be ready to turn the corner and become a solid and reliable – if not semi-dominant – starting pitcher. The Kansas City Royals looked to Luke Hochevar to take a step forward in 2011 after trading away former ace Zack Greinke to the Milwaukee Brewers. It might be easy to look at the numbers and conclude that Luke Hochevar failed, but there are some good signs to investigate.
On the surface, Hochevar does not look like a guy ready to turn a corner. A 4.68 ERA, 5.82 K/9 and 16 HR allowed in 118.2 IP – Hochevar’s 2011 totals – scream mediocrity at best. Take a deeper look though, more specifically at his 1st and 2nd half splits. After the All-Star break, Hochevar tossed 79.1 frames and posted an improved 3.52 ERA and 7.71 K/9 while only allowing seven homers. Additionally, Hochevar showed improved command down the stretch. After a 1.58 K/BB ratio during the first half, Hochevar delivered a 2.83 K/BB mark after the break. Keeping the ball in the park, keeping opponents from reaching base via free passes and inducing strikeouts is a recipe for success and Hochevar seems as if he’s gathering those ingredients.
In terms of pure stuff, Hochevar has a pretty good arsenal. I haven’t really seen him pitch in a year or two, but I was intrigued if not impressed by the fastball velocity and the secondary offerings when I did actually get to watch him. His fastball has averaged 92.7 mph in 2011 and has been as high as 93.5 in 2010 so he’s got enough cheddar. It’s a little bit tougher to quantify secondary offerings, but I’m not sure anybody has ever doubted Hochevar’s raw ability. He just has not been able to translate potential into production.
With the raw stuff to get people out and to deliver big performances already in tow, baseball people and fans are simply waiting for Luke Hochevar to put together the entire package. Based on the improvements that he displayed in the 2nd half, I think Hochevar is in the process of combining newly developed mental aptitude with his already present physical skills. Baseball fans should not be surprised if Luke Hochevar makes some significant noise in 2012 and emerges as a legitimate ace for the Kansas City Royals.
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