Major League Baseball

Let's get graphic: Royals need more cheese, less beef from Ventura

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:08 a.m. ET

foxsports

So far in 2015, Yordano Ventura's making headlines for quick-pitching, plunking batters, and generally acting like a WWE heel on the mound. For the Royals to finally dethrone the Tigers as AL Central champs, however, they'll need more of Ventura's triple-digit heat and less benches-clearing bravado. Kansas City recently signed Ventura to a five-year, $23 million contract extension with a pair of club options that could push their total commitment past $40 million. They're counting on the 23-year-old to replace James Shields as the staff ace, and build upon a rookie season during which he helped propel the Royals to their first AL pennant since 1985.

Catch him on the right day, and he looks like Midwestern Pedro. But Ventura's got a long way to go for those comps to be more than the product of being an undersized Dominican righty. Ventura possesses arguably the game's top fastball among starters, but his breaking and off-speed stuff need polish. He's also got to prove he can pitch deep into games -- and I'm not talking about just avoiding cramps or ejections.