Last September, Steve Luebber sat in a Kansas City meeting room with fellow Royals staffers. He had just finished his third year as the pitching coach at Double-A Northwest Arkansas, but he had an inkling that his 2019 task could be different.



Why? Well, the Royals had drafted three premier pitching prospects. Luebber, who had worked with Danny Duffy, Yordano Ventura and other talented hurlers during their rises through the minors, saw an opportunity to partake in propelling the rise of others.



That opportunity came.



Luebber, who joined the Royals’ organization in 2006 and who pitched five years in the majors, says Royals assistant general manager J.J. Picollo hinted at the move during those September meetings. The plan became official over the winter. Luebber would focus on Jackson Kowar, Brady Singer and Daniel Lynch as the pitching coach at Class A Wilmington.



“When I watch these guys, I try to give them the benefit of the...