David Cone was the "hometown boy" who became one of the most surgical arms in baseball history. A Kansas City native, he was drafted by the Royals in 1981 and debuted as a reliever in 1986 before the organization made a historic tactical error by trading him to the Mets for catcher Ed Hearn. While his "gun for hire" reputation was forged in New York and Toronto, he returned to the Royals in 1993 to deliver the most efficient individual pitching stretch in franchise history, proving that he was much more than a postseason specialist.
Upon returning as a high-profile free agent, he demonstrated a specialized ability to dominate the American League despite a deceptive 11-14 record in his first year back. He led the league in innings pitched (254.0) and finished third in the AL in bWAR (6.7), showing the organization that he was a foundational ace who simply lacked run support.
The season after was a bittersweet one for Cone, and for MLB in general, as the players’ strike ended the season in August. That summer, Cone demonstrated a focused intensity, posting a 16-5 record with a 2.94 ERA and a league-leading 7.1 bWAR for pitchers. He showed the organization he was a foundational superstar by securing the 1994 AL Cy Young Award and finishing ninth in the MVP voting, marking the first and only time a Royal had won the award since Bret Saberhagen.
In a cost-cutting move, Kansas City traded Cone to the Blue Jays before the 1995 Season. Cone compiled 27 wins, 355 strikeouts, and the 1994 AL Cy Young Award as a Royal.
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