Stephen Kolek

Stephen Kolek

28-Year-Old PitcherSP
Kansas City Royals
2026 Fantasy Outlook
Kolek narrowly missed out on a rotation spot with the Padres last spring, beginning 2025 back at the Triple-A level. He got the call in early May for his first career big-league start, and Kolek proceeded to pitch 14.1 consecutive scoreless innings upon arrival, including nine in a historic shutout in Colorado. Not only was the 21-0 margin of victory one of the largest in a shutout in league history, Kolek became just second Padres pitcher to record a shutout in the 30-year history of Coors Field. The right-hander then posted a 5.10 ERA in his subsequent 12 starts before being shipped to Kansas City at the trade deadline. Kolek bookended his season with another strong stretch, posting a 1.91 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 21:5 K:BB over 33 innings with the Royals. Even with that, Kolek, a groundballer with minimal swing-and-miss in his profile, won't be assured a starting role to begin 2026. Read Past Outlooks
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