The best Pitcher for the Kansas City Royals is Jeff Montgomery
The Reds drafted him in the ninth round of the 1983 MLB draft. On August 1, 1987, at age 25, he debuted with the Reds. He started one of his 14 games. Montgomery was a marginal prospect, so the Reds traded him to the Royals for Van Snider, a minor league outfielder who played only 19 games.
Montgomery was shifted to the bullpen and had a 7–2 record with a 3.45 ERA in 45 games (ERA). A setup man for Steve Farr, he won seven games and lost three in 1989, with 18 saves and a 1.37 ERA. Later in his career, he was elevated to closer for the Royals.
On April 29, 1990, Montgomery became the ninth American League pitcher and the 23rd pitcher in MLB history to strike out all three hitters on nine pitches.
With 45 saves, Montgomery tied Dan Quisenberry for the Royals franchise record and Duane Ward for the league lead. That year he received the Rolaids Relief Man Award. Montgomery was an All-Star in 1992, 1993, and 1996.
Montgomery has 36 saves in 1998 and was named the Royals’ Pitcher of the Year. In 1999, Montgomery had 12 saves and a 6.84 ERA. He retired after the season and was elected to the Royals’ Hall of Fame in 2003.
