Cole resides in Tallahassee, Fla., with his wife, Tori, who he married on Nov. 3, 2018...Graduated from North Florida Christian High School in 2016, where he was named an Under Armour All-American and All-Big Bend Pitcher of the Year as a senior after going 9-2 with a 0.90 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 90 innings...Was committed to Florida State University before signing with the Rangers...Studied video of former All-Star Cole Hamels while he was in high school.
2025
Ragans was Kansas City’s Opening Day starter in 2025 for the second straight season, but missed a combined 100 games due to two separate stints on the Injured List with a left rotator cuff strain (84 games) and a left groin strain (16)...Had 98 strikeouts in 61.2 innings for a 14.3 K/9 and 38.1 K%, both career highs, and the highest marks by any pitcher in the Majors in 2025 (min. 10 starts)...His 14.3 K/9 was the best single-season mark in Major League history (min. 10 starts), ahead of Tyler Glasnow in 2020 and Jacob deGrom in 2021 (14.28)...His 98 strikeouts set a club record for strikeouts through 13 starts to begin a season, besting Zack Greinke’s 97 strikeouts to begin his 2009 Cy Young Award-winning campaign...His career-low 2.42 FIP starkly contrasted his 4.67 ERA, and was the third-lowest FIP in the Majors (min. 10 starts), behind Shohei Ohtani (1.99) and Tarik Skubal (2.36)...Out of 184 pitchers who made at least 10 starts in 2025, the difference of 2.25 between Cole’s ERA and FIP ranked as the highest in the Majors, ahead of Trevor Williams (6.21 ERA, 4.21 FIP, 2.00 diff.), Bradley Blalock (9.36 ERA, 7.40 FIP, 1.96 diff.) and Zebby Matthews (5.56 ERA, 3.71 FIP, 1.85 diff.)...Induced a whiff on 57 of his 113 changeups that generated a swing in 2025, a staggering 50.4% whiff rate that led the Majors (min. 200 changeups), ahead of Joey Cantillo (49.4%)...Was the first left-hander to make consecutive Opening Day starts for the Royals since Danny Duffy in 2017-18...he also became the youngest Royal to start consecutive Opening Days since 27-year-old Jeff Suppan made his third of three consecutive Opening Day starts in 2002...Twelve pitchers who’ve had multiple Tommy John Surgeries in their careers have made Opening Day starts prior to a second procedure, but only Ragans and Texas’ Nathan Eovaldi have done so following their second operation, and Ragans and Eovaldi are just two of seven pitchers to undergo multiple elbow procedures and start multiple Opening Day games, according to Jon Roegele (roh-guh-lee) of Hardball Times/FanGraphs...Threw a career-high 7.2 innings on April 13 at Cleveland, and allowed two runs (1 ER) with no walks and 10 strikeouts in a 4-2 win...marked his third consecutive start with at least 10 strikeouts, becoming the second Royal to record 10 strikeouts in three straight starts, joining Kevin Appier, from Aug. 23-Sept. 3, 1996...Struck out 11 batters in five shutout innings vs. the White Sox on May 5, becoming the second Royal to record at least 11 strikeouts in five innings or fewer, joining Nate Karns, who recorded 12 strikeouts vs. Baltimore in five innings on May 13, 2017...Was reinstated from the IL on Sept. 17 and made three starts, over which he posted a 2.77 ERA (4 ER in 13.0 IP) with 22 strikeouts (15.2 K/9) and a .136 opponents’ average (6-for-44)...His final start came in the season finale on Sept. 28 at the Athletics, and he pitched 4.1 scoreless innings...Became the eighth pitcher in Royals history to start the first and last games of a season, per Elias, joining Zack Greinke (2023), Tim Belcher (1998), Kevin Appier (1993), Bret Saberhagen (1988), Dennis Leonard (1979), Paul Splittorff (1976) and Wally Bunker (1969).
2024
Ragans was named to his first All-Star team in 2024, and he pitched a scoreless 6th inning, throwing to Salvador Perez...He set career highs in wins (11), starts (32), quality starts (21), innings (186.1) and strikeouts (223)...His 223 strikeouts in 2024 were the third-most in a single season by a Royal, behind only Dennis Leonard (244 in 1977) and Zack Greinke (242 in 2009). + His 10.77 K/9 led the American League ahead of Tarik Skubal (10.69) and his 4.9 fWAR ranked second in the American League behind Skubal (5.9)...Allowed three earned runs or fewer in 26 of 32 starts (81.3%), tied for the third-most such starts in the American League, behind Corbin Burnes (28) and Garrett Crochet (27)...Struck out at least three batters in each of his 32 starts...only San Francisco’s Logan Webb (33) had more such games in the Majors in 2024...Recorded nine strikeouts on March 28 to set a Royals Opening Day record, surpassing the previous mark of eight shared by Danny Duffy (2017) & Wally Bunker (1970)...Was a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award...Cole made his first career Opening Day start March 28 vs. the Minnesota Twins, and at 26 years old, he became the second-youngest left-handed pitcher to start on Opening Day for the Royals, behind only 25-year-old Danny Jackson in 1987...according to Elias, only three Royals pitchers have started an Opening Day game with fewer career starts than Ragans’ 22 before this season: Brad Keller (20 starts before Opening Day 2019), Runelvys Hernández (12, 2003) and Steve Busby (5, 1973)...He joined former teammate Nathan Eovaldi (2020-22, 2024) as the only known-pitchers in MLB history to make an Opening Day start after undergoing multiple Tommy John surgeries...Began 2024 with a 38.2-inning homerless streak, establishing a new career high from March 28-May 6, besting his 37.2-inning streak that spanned from Aug. 12-Sept. 16, 2023...Was credited with his first career complete game on April 25, 2024 vs. Toronto after pitching five innings of one-run ball, as the game was called early due to rain, with the Royals leading the Blue Jays, 2-1...Induced 26 whiffs June 24, 2024 vs. Miami, the second most by a Royals pitcher in the Pitch Tracking Era (since 2008), behind Danny Duffy’s 35 whiffs on Aug. 1, 2016...Matched a Royals record with eight straight strikeouts on Aug. 31, 2024 at Houston...Finished his regular season with a 1.08 ERA (3 ER in 25.0 IP) in four quality starts in the month of September, the lowest by a Royal (min. four starts) in the final month of a season since Zack Greinke’s Cy Young Award campaign in 2009, when he had a 0.55 ERA (2 ER in 33.0 IP) in his last five starts...In 15 starts following a Royals loss, he recorded 11 quality starts, a 2.38 ERA (24 ER in 90.2 IP) and 111 strikeouts, and the Royals won nine of those 15 games...Went 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA (16 ER in 55.2 IP) in nine Interleague starts, recording eight quality starts, making him one of four pitchers with at least eight quality starts in Interleague games in 2024, joining Logan Gilbert (nine), Chris Sale (eight) and Kutter Crawford (eight)...Went 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA (1 ER in 10.0 IP) and 13 strikeouts in two starts during the 2024 postseason...Two of Kansas City’s three wins in the 2024 postseason were games started by Ragans, including Game 1 of the Wild Card Series in Baltimore and Game 2 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium...Pitched 6.0 scoreless innings in a Game 1 win of the 2024 Wild Card Series in Baltimore, becoming the first starting pitcher in Royals history to win his postseason debut.
2023
Made Texas’ Opening Day roster in 2023 and had 17 appearances in relief before being optioned on June 13 to Triple-A Round Rock...Earned his first Major League win on Opening Day vs. Philadelphia after recording the final out of the fourth inning before the Rangers plated nine runs in the bottom half en route to an 11-7 victory...Was acquired on June 30 by Kansas City in a three-player trade that sent Aroldis Chapman to Texas...From his Aug. 2 recall through season’s end, he led all Major League pitchers in fWAR (2.3) and strikeouts (86)...Recorded a career-long homerless streak that lasted 37.2 innings from Aug. 12-Sept. 16...Had a career-best 26.0-inning scoreless streak from Aug. 18-Sept. 10 that was the sixth-longest by a starting pitcher in Royals history, and was the longest by a Royals starter since Zack Greinke’s club-record streak of 38.0 scoreless innings from 2008-09...Retired 23 straight batters from Aug. 23-29, including the last batters of his Aug. 23 start in Oakland and the first 12 batters of his Aug. 29 start vs. Pittsburgh...Named American League Pitcher of the Month for August, becoming the first Royal to win the award since Zack Greinke in April 2009…Ragans went 3-1 in six August starts with a Majors-best 1.72 ERA (7 ER in 36.2 IP) and 53 strikeouts...Ragans’ 53 strikeouts in August were the second most in any month in franchise history, trailing only Dennis Leonard’s 55 strikeouts in June 1977...His 89 strikeouts are the most by any pitcher through 12 appearances with the Royals, ahead of James Shields’ 78 through 12 outings in 2013...He induced 190 swings and misses in the second half, fourth most in the American League behind Luis Castillo (230 in 89.2 IP), Dylan Cease (206 in 74.1 IP) and Pablo López (205 in 83.0 IP)...He averaged 96.6 mph on his fastball, according to Brooks Baseball, which ranked second among American League left handers (min. 500 fastballs), trailing only Shane McClanahan (96.8 mph)...Added a slider after joining the Royals and in his 12 starts with Kansas City, he threw it 10.0% of the time with 24 strikeouts and a .180 opponents’ average.
2022
Went 0-3 with a 4.95 ERA (22 ER/40.0 IP) over nine starts in his Major League debut after his contract was selected from Round Rock (AAA) on 8/4...endured two stints on the 15-day Injured List due to a left calf strain: 8/26-9/6 and 10/3-end of season…took no decision in his ML debut on 8/4 vs. CWS (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R-0 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO, 93 pitches/55 strikes), a 3-2 Texas win…became just the 10th pitcher (and 2nd left-hander) in club history to log 5.0+ IP without allowing an earned run in a ML debut, first since A.J. Alexy on 8/30/21 (W, 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R)… permitted three-or-fewer ER in seven of nine GS, but ERA was ballooned by outings on 8/11 at HOU (4.1 IP, 5 R-ER) and 9/13 vs. OAK (4.0 IP, 7 R-ER)...closed season by issuing a total of three walks over his last four starts (18.2 IP), this after recording more walks (13) than strikeouts (12) in his first five career starts…opponents batted .272/.339/.456/.795 (43-158) with six home runs, incl. .222 (6-27) opp. BA vs. LHB and .282 opp. BA (37-131) vs. RHB...posted a 6.08 strikeouts per 9.0 innings mark, recording career-high 5 K’s in consecutive starts on 9/13 vs. OAK/9/20 vs. LAA.
MINORS IN 2022: Earned organization’s Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year award after he combined for an 8-5 record, 3.04 ERA (32 ER/94.2 IP), 10.7 strikeouts per 9.0 innings figure over 18 starts for Frisco (AA) and Round Rock (AAA)…opened season at Frisco, going 5-3, 2.81 (16 ER/51.1 IP) in 10 G/GS… was selected Rangers April Minor League Pitcher of the Month after posting a 2.13 ERA (3 ER/12.2 IP) with 17 SO over three starts at Frisco…did not allow more than 3 ER in any of final six starts at Frisco from 5/8-6/8: 4-2, 2.70 (10 ER/33.1 IP), 3 HR, 12 BB/43 SO, .197 opp. BA…entered 2022 as Texas’ No. 24 prospect according to Baseball America.
2021
Returned to action for the first time since 2017 after missing seasons due to injury (2018-19) and the pandemic (2020)... combined to go 4-3 with a 4.35 ERA (39 ER/80.2 IP) in 19 G/17 GS for Frisco (AA) and Hickory (A+)...owned reverse splits, with RHB at .222 and LHB at .293...began the season with Hickory and was promoted to Frisco in July after representing Texas at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on 7/11 at Coors Field in Denver (0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 R-2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR).
2020
Did not see official game action after Minor League season was canceled due to pandemic…returned from injury to pitch in the Fall Developmental League (13.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 8 BB, 20 SO), striking out 20 of 53 (38%) batters faced.
2019
Missed entire season after undergoing ‘Tommy John’ ligament transplant surgery on 5/15/19 performed by Dr. Keith Meister…had begun a throwing program before feeling arm discomfort...named the organization’s 11th-best prospect and “Best Curveball” entering 2019 by Baseball America.
2018
Tabbed the fourth-best prospect in the Texas farm system entering the season…underwent ‘Tommy John’ ligament transplant surgery on 3/28/18 and missed the entire season.
2017
Tabbed the top prospect in the Northwest League by Baseball America, leading the circuit with 87 strikeouts for Short-A Spokane…matched the third-highest strikeout total in the NWL since 2006…earned spots on both the NWL mid-season and postseason All-Star teams… held opponents to a .234/.344/.360/.704 slash line, whiffing 34.8% of all batters faced (87 of 250)…had the second-most walks (35) in the NWL…tossed 4.0 hitless innings on 6/28 vs. Tri-City and registered a season-best 10 strikeouts on 8/18 vs. Vancouver.
