Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans has experienced a notable slide in MLB Network’s Top 100 player rankings, dropping to No. 89 after being ranked No. 43 a year ago.
The decline reflects both the injury setbacks and performance concerns that defined his 2025 season, even though his underlying skillset remains intact.
The biggest factor in Ragans’ drop was a disrupted campaign last year. Entering 2025, expectations were high following his breakout 2024 season, when he posted a 3.14 ERA, struck out 223 batters over 186 1/3 innings, earned his first All-Star selection and finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting. That performance established him as one of the premier young left-handed pitchers in baseball.
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However, 2025 told a different story. Ragans was limited to just 13 starts and 61 2/3 innings after suffering a groin strain in May and later a left rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for more than three months.
The injuries contributed to a 4.67 ERA, a sharp increase compared to his elite numbers the year before. Yet advanced metrics suggest his performance was better than the surface statistics indicated, as his strikeout rate actually improved last year, climbing above 36%.
Still, durability concerns weighed heavily in the rankings. Missed time often leads evaluators to project more cautiously, and Ragans’ limited workload raised questions about his availability moving forward.
Even so, optimism persists. When healthy, he continues to miss bats at an elite rate, flashing the same mix of pitches that made him a breakout arm in 2024. His drop in the rankings is less about diminished talent and more about uncertainty surrounding his short-term ceiling.
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Ragans’ journey to this point has been defined by resilience. Drafted 30th overall by the Texas Rangers in the 2016 draft, he endured two Tommy John surgeries before reaching MLB. He debuted in 2022 and showed flashes of promise, but his career trajectory shifted quickly in 2023 when he was traded to the Royals.
In Kansas City, he quickly established himself as a rotation fixture, combining an electric fastball with a devastating changeup and multiple secondary pitches.
The setbacks of 2025 were a reminder of the challenges that most pitchers face in maintaining health and consistency. Now 28 years old, Ragans enters 2026 with expectations centered on a return to form. His story remains one of talent, perseverance and the ongoing battle to stay healthy at the highest level.