Seth Lugo finally got his shot last year as a starting pitcher — after a long absence from the rotation — and showed he was competent in the role.
Through three starts this season the former Mets pitcher, has performed even better with a 1.45 ERA for the Royals, who began a three-game series Friday at Citi Field.
But Lugo doesn’t blame the Mets for keeping him in the bullpen after he had pushed to resume starting duty.
Lugo was primarily a starter for the Mets in 2017 and struggled, pitching to a 4.71 ERA.
Plus, he had established himself as a valuable setup piece in the bullpen, so why would the Mets hurry to move him?
“I was a question mark,” Lugo said before the Royals lost, 6-1, to the Mets on Friday. “I hadn’t started in so long, and even I didn’t know what I was capable of, so it’s understandable.”
Lugo left through free agency after the 2022 season, signing with the Padres, who offered him the starting opportunity.
The right-hander pitched to a 3.57 ERA in 26 starts for the club and then opted out from his deal.
The Mets were among the teams that called last winter — and this time with a starting role in mind — but at that point Lugo was already deep in negotiations with the Royals, who landed him on a two-year contract worth $30 million that includes a player option for 2026.
Lugo, 34, was drafted by the Mets in 2011 and spent 12 seasons in the organization.
A starter in the minor leagues, most of his major league career with the Mets was spent in the bullpen.
“The way I feel is if I hadn’t been a reliever for so long and gone through the experiences I have gone through, I don’t think I would be where I am at right now as a pitcher,” Lugo said. “I think a lot of those situations pitching in the pen and dealing with some adversity and stuff turned me into what I am now.
“I have talked to a few guys that are back and forth between starting and relieving, wanting to start. I say ‘Well, what really helped me as a starter was learning to get big outs toward the end of the game, understanding myself.’ I think if the journey was different I wouldn’t be here.”
Lugo, who isn’t scheduled to pitch in the series, said he’s thrilled with the situation into which he’s landed, with an up-and-coming Royals team that was 9-4 entering play.
It’s a group that includes young talent such as Bobby Witt Jr., MJ Melendez and Maikel Garcia.
“We have got some other veterans around, but watching these young guys play is a lot of fun,” Lugo said.