Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo tossed six innings of two-run ball (one earned) with five hits en route to picking up his first victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He served up one walk and struck out two batters. Heston Kjerstad would bring in the first run of the evening in the second inning. Later in that frame, Kjerstad would cross home on a throwing error. This was a nice bounce-back outing for the 35-year-old as he allowed three runs, four hits, and three walks across five frames in his first start of the campaign. Last summer, Lugo enjoyed an impressive season as he logged 206 1/3 innings to the tune of a strong 3.00 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied 181 punchouts and served up 48 free passes. Lugo will look to continue this momentum in his next scheduled start on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo lasted five innings in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Yankees, allowing two earned runs on just two hits, but he walked four batters and only struck out two on the way to earning a no-decision. Lugo posted a better-than-average 5.7% BB% in the regular season so it is uncharacteristic of him to lose his command. The Royals will need to win two in a row in order to extend their season, so if this is Lugo's final game pitched in 2024, it closes out a phenomenal year for the righty. The 34-year-old finished the regular season 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a 15.9% K-BB%.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo will take the mound for his team's American League Division Series Game 3 matchup at home against the Yankees. The 34-year-old made a solid start against the Orioles in the wild-card series, allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings pitched with one walk and six strikeouts. Lugo was a surprise asset for the Royals and fantasy managers in the regular season, going 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 21.7% strikeout rate in 33 starts and 206 2/3 IP. He pitched deep into both of his regular-season starts against the Yankees, allowing four runs in seven IP with four strikeouts in his first matchup and no runs in seven IP with 10 strikeouts in his second. His regular-season success and his above-average ground-ball rate could make him a useful DFS play despite the tough opponent.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo turned in another excellent start in Tuesday's 5-0 win over the Yankees. Lugo pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts. The 34-year-old veteran struggled to begin the second half of the season but has returned to his strong first-half form lately, tossing three consecutive seven-inning starts and notching four in his last five. Lugo now owns a 16-8 record with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 7.88 K/9 rate in 30 starts and 193 IP. He will have a good chance to extend his streak in his next start against the Tigers.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo righted the ship in Monday's 5-3 win over the Angels. Lugo pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. It was a welcome result for the 34-year-old and fantasy managers, as he had posted a bloated 6.23 ERA in his first three August starts. Overall, Lugo is now 14-7 with a 3.02 ERA, a 7.72 K/9 rate, and a 2.27 BB/9 rate in 26 starts and 166 2/3 IP. Lugo's next start is scheduled to be against a Phillies lineup that has only been mediocre lately, so he may have a chance to continue to improve his August numbers.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo had a terrific start on Thursday, tossing eight one-run innings and picking up his 13th win in a 7-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Lugo didn't have much swing-and-miss stuff in this one, generating only three strikeouts, but it didn't matter as he allowed just four hits and a walk. The Tigers couldn't generate hard contact against him or string anything together, as has been the case with most teams Lugo has faced this year. He isn't doing it in the conventional way, but he's been so good for so long that it's hard to doubt him. He is a must-start fantasy option.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo authored another impressive performance on Sunday, shutting out the Cleveland Guardians for six innings and earning his 11th win of the season in the process. Lugo was masterful in this one, allowing just four hits and a walk while punching out 10. After a bit of a rough patch in early June, the 34-year-old has gotten right back on track with four terrific starts. Those four starts have all been quality starts, and he has allowed just four runs in 24 IP (1.46 ERA) while striking out 30. While he should still be considered a sell high, it isn't unreasonable to just hold onto him as he should continue to rack up quality starts and wins on a good Royals team.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo turned in another excellent effort in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Marlins. Lugo pitched six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts. The 34-year-old emerged as a surprise fantasy starter last season and has been even better in 2024, going 10-2 with a 2.29 ERA, a 7.77 K/9 rate, and a 2.13 BB/9 rate in 17 starts and 110 IP. The veteran has been a fantasy steal and All-Star, considering he was drafted outside the top 250 picks on average coming into the season. He will face a tough test against the Guardians in his next start, but he has simply been too good to sit.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo was solid against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday, pitching into the seventh inning and picking up his 12th quality start of the year in a 3-2 win. Lugo cruised through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh, where he allowed a two-out, two-run homer. The 34-year-old allowed six hits and three walks while striking out eight in his 6 IP. He hasn't been quite as good in June as he was in April and May, but he has still pitched at least six innings in all four June starts and has given up only two runs in two of those starts. He remains a solid pitcher for fantasy but should still be considered a sell-high, especially after a good start like this one.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo (9-2) pitched seven innings and allowed four runs on eight hits with one walk and four runs allowed in a 4-2 loss Monday night against the New York Yankees. The loss was only the second of the season for the 34-year-old veteran, who owns a 2.36 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 91 1/3 innings pitched. Though he's been outstanding so far this year, this is the second game in a row Lugo has allowed four earned runs or more after only having one such outing in his first 12 starts combined. The road doesn't look like it will get any easier for Lugo, as he's projected for a matchup with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Kansas City starting pitcher Seth Lugo (9-1) picked up his ninth win Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. The ninth win leads the American League in that category and ties him for the MLB lead with Philadelphia Phillies starter Ranger Suarez. Safe to say, Lugo has been a bargain for the Royals after signing the veteran right-hander to a three-year $45 million contract in the offseason. He currently lies at the top in wins, ERA, and innings pitched on the season while having an impressive 1.01 WHIP as well. His next start will put him against the red-hot Cleveland Guardians next Tuesday, whom he has yet to match up against this season.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo will look to notch his fifth straight quality start on Saturday when the leads the Royals at home against the Oakland A's. Lugo has been one of the bigger surprises this season, posting up a miniscule 1.66 ERA. In his last outing he struck out a career high 12 batters in eight innings against the Los Angeles Angels. Lugo may not be able to replicate that against the Oakland A's, though, as current A's batters have hit him for a .379 wOBA in 25 PA, though they are striking out against him at a 24% clip. Fantasy managers should keep Lugo in their lineups and DFS managers should look to target Lugo against the A's, who are hitting for just a .573 OPS over the last seven days.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo was excellent on the mound during Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander has been outstanding lately and his success continued here. Lugo coasted through eight innings, allowing one run, and racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts. The veteran right-hander holds a 6-1 record, 1.66 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 48/12 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings. He'll look to keep the great times rolling against the Oakland Athletics next weekend.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo continued his hot stretch on the mound during Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The right-hander went seven innings, allowing one earned run, and struck out eight batters in the win. Lugo has now struck out 17 batters over his last two starts. He has been solid on the mound throughout most of his starts. Fantasy managers in need of pitching help should consider Lugo as an option.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo continued his stellar work on the mound during Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander threw seven shutout innings while striking out nine batters in the win. Lugo only gave up three singles during this game and a pair of walks. He holds a 1.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 23/9 K/BB ratio across six starts. He'll look to continue his strong campaign against the Toronto Blue Jays next week.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo improved to 3-0 with a victory against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Lugo tossed seven innings on scoreless ball and allowed four hits with one walk and four strikeouts. It was the second time this season that Lugo has earned a quality start against his division foe. With the outing, Lugo now has an impressive 1.05 ERA. Facing the White Sox twice in four starts is always helpful, but Lugo also has held his own against the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros. Lugo's biggest flaw for fantasy managers is that he doesn't collect many strikeouts and that makes him more attractive as a streamer than a must-roster player outside of very deep leagues. Lugo will look to improve to 4-0 when he squares off in a tough matchup against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Seth Lugo had another solid start on Thursday, picking up the win in a 10-1 trouncing over the Chicago White Sox. Lugo threw 6 innings of one-run ball, allowing eight hits and two walks while striking out three. The baserunners allowed were a bit alarming in this one, but Lugo was able to escape damage by inducing four double-play balls. That obviously isn't sustainable, but Lugo has shown that he can be a solid starter who can give decent length. He should be a good source of quality starts and shouldn't hurt fantasy manager's ratios either. Lugo is also a very good points league option.

Free-agent right-hander Seth Lugo agreed with the Kansas City Royals on a three-year deal worth $45 million on Tuesday. The third year of Lugo's deal with Kansas City will be a $15 million player option. The 34-year-old veteran cashed in on what will likely be the final big free-agent deal of his career after excelling in a full-time starting role with the San Diego Padres in 2023. Last year, Lugo went 8-7 with the Friars with a 3.57 ERA (3.83 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP with 36 walks and a career-high 140 strikeouts in 146 1/3 innings over his 26 starts. He'll be guaranteed a full-time starting role again in 2024 with the rebuilding Royals and will now reside in one of the best divisions in baseball for pitchers in the weak American League Central.

The Boston Red Sox are stepping up their efforts on free-agent right-hander Seth Lugo, although four or five other teams, including the Atlanta Braves, are interested in his services as well. The Red Sox are expected to make an offer to Lugo at some point as they look to boost their starting rotation this offseason. Lugo declined his $7.4 million option for 2024 with the San Diego Padres after posting a 3.57 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 146 1/3 innings as a full-time starter for the Friars this past season. Given how well he pitched in a starting role, Lugo should easily be able to top $7 million per year on what will likely the final big contract of his career. Lugo could still be valuable in mixed fantasy leagues as an innings-eater, but a move to the American League East will make it difficult to replicate the fine year he had in SD.

San Diego Padres right-hander Seth Lugo has declined his $7.5 million player option for the 2024 season on Thursday, according to sources. It doesn't come as a big surprise after Lugo had a very fine 2023 campaign in his first year in San Diego. He was a full-time starter and made a career-high 26 starts and posted a solid 3.57 ERA (3.83 FIP), 1.20 WHIP, 36 walks and a career-high 140 strikeouts for the Friars in 146 1/3 innings pitched. The 33-year-old should be able to find a much more lucrative long-term deal this winter after his performance in 2023, even at his age. Lugo will almost assuredly be looking for another situation where he will remain in the starting rotation all year long, but his versatility as a reliever should make him even more attractive to interested teams on the open market.