KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Young ace Yordano Ventura and the Kansas City Royals have reached a five-year contract worth $23 million.

The AL champions announced they had a deal Saturday, two days before they open the season.

The 23-year-old Ventura dazzled as a rookie last season, going 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA.

The hard-throwing righty pitched seven shutout innings against San Francisco to win Game 6 of the World Series. The Giants won the title the next day.

Ventura was 1-0 with a 3.20 ERA in five postseason appearances, including four starts.

The contract runs through 2019, and includes club options for the following two seasons.