This KC Monarchs pitcher & former Royals prospect has done it all. Now he’s a starter

Grant Gavin entered uncharted territory this season.

The Kansas City Monarchs pitcher and Parkville native had been every type of reliever during his professional career, from eating up innings to closing out big games. In 2023, he was a back-end arm for a Monarchs team that won the American Association championship.

This season, the hard-throwing right-hander has joined the Monarchs’ starting rotation, with outstanding results. Gavin has struck out a team-high 36 batters while walking just two in 23.2 innings.

The St. Pius X High School graduate worked to build up his workload this past offeason. He joined the rotation shortly after the season started, when Kansas City native Dalton Moats was signed by the Chicago Cubs.

“I’ve been a reliever for so long,” Gavin said, “and that’s kind of what I’ve been typecast as. And I wanted the opportunity to do something else.”

This is the first season in which Gavin has recorded multiple starts since he was a rookie Royals prospect in 2016.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “I had a little anxiety about the switch; it’s something I haven’t really done in like seven or eight years. But it’s also exciting because it’s an opportunity to showcase myself in a different way.”

Gavin struck out a career-high 13 on May 20 against Kane County. He threw six shutout innings Friday against Gary SouthShore, striking out six and earning his second win of the season.

“It’s a mentality,” Gavin said. “Being a starter, I’ve really emphasized that I’ve got to be efficient and work ahead, and really attack hitters early in the count.”

Gavin features a potent fastball, but his splitter might be his nastiest pitch, at least according to Monarchs pitching coach Justin Shafer.

“You look at his data and he has an elite, elite splitter,” Shafer said. “And I’m like, ‘Just use it more. Don’t do anything different, just use it more.’”

Shafer, who played in the major leagues with the Blue Jays and Marlins, won a championship with the Monarchs in 2021.

“He’s been great,” Gavin said, “someone who’s been in the big leagues and been in my shoes as a Monarch. We’ve all been through a lot and it’s great to have someone you can relate to.”

Gavin and the Monarchs are once again in the hunt for the top spot in the American Association. They return home to Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas for a six-game homestand starting Friday.

Cal Friedman contributed to this report.