Outlook: The big velocity gain that made Ragans look like an ace-in-waiting in the second half of 2023 held up at the beginning of last year, and the southpaw had a 3.16 ERA and a 30% strikeout rate entering the break. As the year went on, though, Ragans’ velocity took quite a hit, especially on his outstanding changeup, which he threw about three mph slower in August than he did in April. Fortunately, it just didn’t seem to matter, and Ragans posted a 3.10 ERA and a 29% strikeout rate during the second half. He wound up just five strikeouts behind Tarik Skubal for the major league lead, and he finished fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting. Even if the changeup stands out, all four of Ragans’ pitches are perfectly legit, and his command has improved to the point at which he doesn’t need to sit 96 mph with his fastball in order to be a top starter. In spite of last year’s team success, Kansas City still isn’t a great situation for pitchers, which holds back Ragans’ ranking some here. He should be terrific, though.