Imagine a rising star pitcher whose career is suddenly halted by a string of devastating injuries. That’s the story of John Means, the left-handed pitcher who recently signed a two-year minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals. But here’s where it gets intriguing: Means, who tore his Achilles tendon last December, is unlikely to pitch in the 2026 season. Represented by Wasserman, Means last took the mound in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024, capping a once-promising career that’s been marred by health setbacks.
Means burst onto the scene in 2019, earning an All-Star nod as a rookie and solidifying his place in Baltimore’s rotation through 2021. Yet, injuries have limited him to just 10 major league appearances over the past four years. Tommy John surgery sidelined him for most of 2022 and 2023, and after four starts in 2024, he required another elbow procedure. And this is the part most people miss: Despite these challenges, the Royals are betting on his potential for a future comeback.
Kansas City isn’t the first team to take this gamble. Last offseason, the Cleveland Guardians signed Means to a one-year, $1MM deal, hoping he’d return to form. He made seven minor league starts but failed to crack the MLB roster, leading Cleveland to decline his $6MM option in November. Is this a smart move by the Royals, or are they setting themselves up for disappointment?
Means debuted with a low-90s fastball, paired with a strong changeup and a serviceable slider. While he didn’t rack up strikeouts as a rookie, he excelled at limiting hard contact and keeping the ball in the park, ranking in the 89th percentile for hard-hit rate in his first full season. In 2020, his fastball velocity jumped by 2 mph, though his results didn’t improve significantly. A 21.8% home run-to-fly ball ratio likely explains his mid-4.00s ERA in that shortened season.
By 2021, his fastball had lost some zip, but he still posted a 3.62 ERA across 26 starts. After a strong start through May, a shoulder strain sidelined him for six weeks. Upon his return, his ERA climbed near 5.00, and he allowed 17 home runs in his final 14 appearances. What if he’d stayed healthy? Could he have thrived in the adjusted Camden Yards?
The Orioles’ 2022 stadium renovations, which moved the fences back and introduced “Walltimore” in left field, would have been a perfect fit for Means’ fly ball-heavy, hard-contact-limiting style. Unfortunately, he only made five home starts after these changes. Is this a missed opportunity, or just another chapter in a career plagued by bad luck?
The Royals’ deal with Means is a low-risk, high-reward move, but it raises questions about his ability to bounce back. Will he regain his former glory, or will injuries continue to define his career? Let us know what you think in the comments—is this a smart gamble, or a long shot that’s unlikely to pay off?
