He’s either getting there, or he’s already there.
First, my lasting image.
I sat with my wife in the right field stands near the team’s bullpen at what would be the Royals’ final game of the 2024 season, as the Royals fought the New York Yankees until the final out of the ALDS.
Earlier in the game, a scuffle broke out near second base between a Royals baserunner and several Yankees fielders. Benches cleared, and, dutifully, bullpens emptied. Sprinting in full speed into the fray from right field—No. 51, Brady Singer.
Although it was not an official game appearance, it was just the second time fans saw Singer in the post-season after he faced and struck out one batter in the team’s Game Three loss. Could it also have been Singer’s last appearance in a Royals uniform?
The 2024 season represented the fifth straight season in which Singer, the former No. 18 overall draft pick from 2018, made at least 12 starts. In fact, he made a career-high 32 starts, throwing just under 180 total innings while setting a career-high in strikeouts with 170. He finished the season 9-13 with a 3.71 ERA, 114 ERA+, 3.94 FIP, and 1.275 WHIP, good enough for 3.1 WAR according to baseball-reference and 2.5 WAR according to Fangraphs.
In a season in which the Royals featured a strong, healthy starting rotation, Singer was the most-tenured. Cole Ragans came over in 2023 while Alec Marsh made his debut and Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha arrived from San Diego before the season. Singer slotted in behind Ragans, Lugo, and Wacha, and pitched solidly for the entire season.
And by bWAR, he ranked as such: fourth behind Lugo’s 5.3, Ragans’ 4.9, and Wacha’s 3.5.
He finished tied for second on the team in starts and third on the team in innings pitched, strikeouts, and strikeouts per nine innings. More than any other season in his career aside from 2022, he held his own.
Here is my biggest concern with Singer - he faltered, or rather faded late in the season as he turned in the most innings of his career.
Over Singer’s final ten starts, the Royals went 1-9 and Singer himself went 1-7. During those starts, he went more than five innings only six times. During this period, he also gave up nine home runs while he allowed only 13 in his other 22 starts.
Before his start on August 5: 2.88 ERA, 3.74 FIP.
After his final start of the season: 3.71 ERA, 3.94 FIP.
Again, he made only one appearance in the postseason, facing one batter. Were the Royals to have advanced to the ALCS, Matt Quatraro indicated he would have started a game.
And yet...he was there in the bullpen for the entire series against the Orioles and Yankees and only got his number called once.
That alone might say everything there is to say.
My Grade: C+
