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Back on July 1st the Kansas City Royals promoted right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell to the major league roster and gave him a start against the Minnesota Twins. He was hit hard, giving up seven hits, three walks, and five runs in 2.2 innings, then was sent back down to Triple-A Omaha.
He went up and back down so quickly that I didn’t get a profile posted. Let’s remedy that.
The Royals drafted Luke Farrell in the sixth round in 2013 from Northwestern University. His college career as interrupted twice by surgery to remove tumors, but he had a good year as a senior (2.13 ERA in 84 innings, 80/26 K/BB) and featured strong bloodlines as the son of Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell.
Luke has been a steady inning-eater in the Royals system. At the Triple-A level he’s posted a 3.94 ERA in 176 innings over two seasons with a 156/68 K/BB, not spectacular but credible by Pacific Coast League standards.
Listed at 6-6, 210, Farrell was born June 7th, 1991. He has a four-seam fastball in the 88-93 range, averaging right at 90, and will mix in a slider/cutter, curve, and change-up. As you’d expect given his background he is polished and has a strong makeup reputation, on the field and off.
He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter given the lack of plus stuff, but he shouldn’t be under-estimated and his game might play up in the bullpen.