2025 Player Outlook

Wacha had his best season as a professional since his 2015 campaign as a member of the Cardinals. He compiled a 13-8 record with a 3.35 ERA (3.65 FIP), 21.2 K%, and 1.19 WHIP across 166.2 IP for the Royals in 2024, earning himself a nice little payday this offseason. His 3.78 ERA on the road couldn't touch his 2.89 ERA at home, and he turned it on in the second half, posting a 2.79 ERA over his final 77.1 IP in 2024. His .290 BABIP was his highest in the past three seasons, and as a pitch-to-contact guy, it's hard to envision his strikeout rate getting much higher than where it has been the last few seasons. At this point of his career, Wacha is what he is, but he can be serviceable for fantasy managers as a back-end rotation arm (think SP6/SP7).