Lugo earns many labels: Workhorse, leader, veteran

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Royals pitcher Seth Lugo made his second start of the Cactus League on Sunday afternoon, and it came against a familiar foe.

In his team¡¯s 10-4 victory, Lugo allowed three runs, five hits, one walk and a home run across three innings in his first time facing the Padres since he signed a three-year contract with the Royals after his lone season pitching on the West Coast in 2023.

¡°It was [fun],¡± Lugo said. ¡°I got to catch up with a couple of the coaches and the catchers before I started warming up today. So, yeah, that was enjoyable. [The Padres] took a shot on me, and the rest is history. There were a lot of ex-teammates and coaches that we got close with that summer, so it was great to see familiar faces.¡±

Lugo spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Mets, pitching primarily out of the bullpen. Entering his age-33 season, Lugo signed a one-year deal with the Padres and was given the opportunity to join the rotation.

Lugo impressed in San Diego, posting a 3.57 ERA over 146 1/3 innings, making him an attractive free agent. While Lugo considered a return to the Padres, he believed in the Royals¡¯ future and inked a contract that guarantees $45 million over three years, with the final year a player option.

In his first season in Kansas City, Lugo reached new heights. He logged a 3.00 ERA over a career-high 206 2/3 innings. He was the American League Cy Young Award runner-up.

¡°It means everything -- pitching that many innings,¡± Lugo said. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve always wanted to do. Hopefully, [I¡¯ll] get more wins next year, just kind of build off of what we went through. It¡¯s pretty cool to look back on, but we got to look forward now.¡±

Lugo¡¯s presence in the Royals¡¯ rotation last season was essential.

¡°He¡¯s a workhorse,¡± Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. ¡°Super-prepared. He¡¯s a leader off the field, as well with the pitching staff, so [he has] all the intangibles.¡±

Now 35, Lugo is the elder statesman of the Royals¡¯ pitching staff. A quieter personality, Lugo leads by example.

¡°I¡¯ve never really been too outgoing with words,¡± Lugo said. ¡°But you go to work every day, you give it everything you have, you try to be on time, you be in the place you¡¯re supposed to be, and you try to do your job with a smile on your face and answer some questions to some young guys that want to know some stuff. So, [it¡¯s] just a matter of being approachable, but also getting your work in.¡±

Coming off a career year, Lugo isn¡¯t satisfied just yet. He hopes for bigger and better in the coming season.

¡°Part of how I approach the game is the past is the past,¡± Lugo said. ¡°You don¡¯t dwell on that. You learn from your mistakes, and that¡¯s kind of what I always remember more than some of the better outings. The tough ones stick with you a little longer, so [I¡¯m] just trying to improve off of what we did last year.¡±

Lugo has greatly enjoyed being a part of the Royals¡¯ pitching rotation, which he says is a very cohesive unit.

¡°It¡¯s great,¡± Lugo said. ¡°With [Michael] Wacha and all the experience he has, and some of these young guys, with the stuff they have. We pitch on different days, but we work together. And we try to identify hitter tendencies and we get better by watching each other, so it¡¯s real special.¡±

Starting pitching had been a weakness for the Royals in years past, but the rotation¡¯s dramatic improvement in 2024 helped power the club to its first winning season and playoff appearance since 2015, when K.C. won the World Series.

Lugo was crucial to the Royals¡¯ success last season. The club reached the AL Division Series, losing in four games to the Yankees. So what needs to happen in order for the Royals to take the next step in 2025?

¡°We¡¯re going to build off of what we did last year to get to where we want to go,¡± Lugo said. ¡°I think a lot of the experience we got in the postseason last year -- some of these younger guys really playing competitive baseball -- I think that¡¯s what they needed for themselves and also for the organization. Excited to see what we can do this year.¡±