The Kansas City Royals have hit a bit of a snag in recent weeks. As losers of seven of their last 11 games, the Royals bolstered their pitching depth by signing veteran Rich Hill. If he makes an MLB appearance, it will be his 21st season with his 13th different franchise. He made his organizational debut in rookie ball on Wednesday and dominated, per the team's prospect development social media page.
Dealing in the desert.
45-year-old Rich Hill retires all 12 batters he faces, striking out 7, in his @Royals organizational debut!
Every single ACL Cubs hitter he faced was not born when Hill was drafted by Chicago in 2002. #RaisingRoyals👑 pic.twitter.com/lyqxB6Mxk2
— Raising Royals (@KCRoyalsPD) May 21, 2025
Hill pitched four innings, retiring all 12 batters he faced against the Chicago Cubs' rookie ball team. The more stunning stat is that every hitter he faced was not born yet when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2002. Hill spent four seasons at Wrigley Field, posting a 4.37 ERA in 64 appearances.
Hill has one of the most fascinating careers in modern-day baseball. He has been a serviceable left-handed starter for 20 years with nearly half the teams in the league. But he has never received a Cy Young vote, never been an All-Star, and never won a World Series. He did make the Fall Classic twice as a key starter on the 2017 and 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hill pitched in his 20th consecutive season last year with the Boston Red Sox, his second stint with his hometown team. He was okay in four appearances, allowing two runs in 3.2 innings as a relief pitcher. He has not checked off the Royals yet and has a long way to go until he is stretched out for major league innings.
The Royals have two major pitching injuries impacting their major league club. Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans are both on the 15-day injured list. While rookie Noah Cameron was sensational in his MLB debut, Kansas City can't ask too much from him. That's where Hill could come in if he continues to succeed in the minors.