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“Dominant” is the only word I can think of to describe Walter Pennington’s incredible start to the 2024 season. To some, this start comes as a complete surprise, but if you look at Pennington’s track record, it’s not hard to see why he is making notable strides this season. He has been building toward this for years and is now seeing the fruit of his labor on full display, likely earning himself a chance to play in Kansas City at some point in 2024.
The Royals give Pennington a chance
Pennington is a native of Broomfield, Colorado, and went on to graduate from the Colorado School of Mines in 2020 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. His best college season came in 2019, where he posted a 10-3 record with a 3.51 ERA over 92.1 IP. After not hearing his name called in the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, he signed a minor league contract with the Royals on August 24th of that year. Since then, he has been an incredibly consistent pitcher in the Royals’ minor league system, but it hasn’t come without its bumps along the way.
Sophomore slump
After a hot start to his professional career in 2021 (holding a 3.32 ERA in 43.1 IP), Pennington cooled off significantly in 2022. I don’t believe this was all his fault though, as he spent a grand total of 5.2 innings in High-A before a promotion to Double-A. Things may have been different if he wasn’t rushed into arguably the toughest transition in all the minor leagues: High-A to Double-A. He stuck in NW Arkansas for the rest of 2022 and finished with a 5.66 ERA in 62 IP. He held a 1.68 WHIP and opponents batted .310 against him. He also held the worst K/BB of his career at 1.79. I say all this to show how much he has improved in slightly over one season’s time.
Pennington bounces back in 2023
Once again, the Royals didn’t wait long to promote Pennington at the start of the 2023 season, sending him up to Omaha after only 9.2 IP in NW Arkansas. The main difference this time around was that he had already spent almost a full season in NW Arkansas the year prior. The quick promotion didn’t seem to affect Pennington at all, as he went on to throw 61 solid innings for the Storm Chasers, holding a 3.69 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, and .234 OBA – all very respectable numbers for a first crack at the Triple-A level. The downside was that he still held a 4.57 BB/9, showing a need for improved command for him to really take the next step.
What was in the Surprise, AZ water?
Something clicked for Pennington this past offseason and hasn’t stopped clicking. It started down in spring training this year when he recorded a 1.27 ERA in 7.1 IP. Although it was a limited sample size, he still managed to strike out 16 batters and only walk 2 in that time. That was when he started turning heads, and I wondered if he might break camp with the major league squad. Although he did not, he has not stopped proving that he deserves an opportunity.
What’s his 2024 outlook?
Pennington has put up video game-type numbers to start 2024. In 26.2 IP, he holds a 1.35 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and has held opponents to a .167 batting average. What might be most impressive is his whopping 7.8 K/BB (39 K to 5 BB). That is absolutely elite stuff. It is also encouraging to see his walk rate back down significantly. Last Saturday, he started his first game of the season in a “bullpen game” and threw four perfect innings with six strikeouts.
It is no secret that the Royals have been having a little less consistency out of their bullpen in recent weeks, opening the door for a potential promotion for Pennington. Since he is not on the Royals’ 40-man roster, it would require a player to be DFA’d in return, creating a small level of added difficulty. Lefty bullpen arms are often coveted, so that is something else working in Pennington’s favor.
The Royals seem to be making moves that are focused on winning now, and all Pennington has done so far this season is give the Storm Chasers opportunities to win games. I am not sure what the Royals’ plans are for Pennington as his recent four-inning appearance was out of the norm, but there is no denying that they are going to have to plan for him. As he has countless times before, I am confident that Pennington will make the most of his opportunity, and hopefully allow me to utter the word “dominant” a few more times.