PHOENIX -- TheRoyals' young talent is the talk of Arizona this spring, and 23-year-old starter Danny Duffy sees it all around him.

"We're good," Duffy said. "I feel like this team is ready to win."

That's only true if the pitching is much improved. The Royals rotation combined for a 4.82 ERA last year; only the Orioles (5.39) were worse.

And that's why the Royals were so excited by Duffy's electric first spring start (six batters face, five strikeouts). And also why Thursday's second start (with a 25-pitch, two-run first inning) had to serve as a somewhat worrisome reminder that command and inconsistency have been issues for him in the past.

Duffy showed off a fastball that sat at 94 mph and topped out at 96, but he also fell behind four of the five batters he faced in the first. And when speedy Dee Gordon led off the game with a walk, Duffy fell asleep and allowed Gordon to steal second base without a pitch being thrown.

Duffy looked better in the second and third innings Thursday against the Dodgers. The Royals, who say he has the inside track on one of the open spots in their rotation, can hope that this was a bad day (as he said) and not a reversion to past troubles.

"I think I was trying to make myself a little nastier than I was," Duffy said. "This is going to be what a bad day looks like for me now. It's not going to look like last year."

Duffy made 20 starts for the Royals last year, going 4-8 with a 5.64 ERA and issuing 4.4 walks per nine innings.

"My walks are definitely not appreciated," Duffy said.

The Royals young position players made an impact last summer. If they really are ready to win, they'll need some of the young pitchers to make a similar impact this year.