Grading Every Pitcher In The Royals' 2026 Bullpen

[Brian Shrum]

Anyone who watched their fair share of Royals baseball this season can tell you that the bullpen was a major pain point for the ballclub. The Royals bullpen posted a 5.07 ERA, which was the second-worst in the MLB. Collectively, Royals relievers blew 26 saves this season, an incredible number and a big reason why this team ended up winning less than 70 games and not competing in a weak division. 

 

The Royals late inning bullpen disasters started early on in the season and never rallied back to the level of success they have had in prior years. It started with Carlos Estevez getting injured in the first game of the year against Atlanta and not pitching again the rest of the season. Estevez's injuries gave Lucas Erceg a chance to take on the closing role and we all know how that went. From there it was trial and error in the late innings. For a team that went out and made moves to enhance the bullpen in the offseason, it was disappointing to see the Royals have the second worst bullpen in the league. 

 

Below are my grade reports for Royals relief pitchers who ended the season with 20 or more appearances:

 

Alex Lange: D+

 

Lange threw 60 innings in 59 games this season giving up 65 hits, 45 earned runs and walking 33 batters. The season was up and down for Lange and like most of the bullpen it was mostly down. He finished the year with a FIP of 5.87 which is nearly a run and half higher than this year's league average. His high FIP shows that most of his troubles were his own, which is also backed by his high walk percentage of 12%. Lange's bright spot of the season came in June where he had 7 saves for the Royals and 11.1 innings pitched. However, the following month is where things turned for Lange as he blew 3 saves that month. Following that month, Lange came in and out of the bullpen and did add two holds to his statline before having a rough September to end the season. 

 

Daniel Lynch IV: B

 

Daniel Lynch IV was the best arm out of the bullpen for the Royals this past season when he was in a reliever role. In his 6th season with the Royals he threw 86 innings with 56 strikeouts, 26 walks and 39 earned runs. As a reliever he posted a 3.72 FIP proving that his 1.96 ERA in 46 relief innings was legitimate out of the bullpen. Lynch IV had a 7.3% walk rate and a 15.7% strikeout rate this season. His better than league average walk rate allowed him to keep runners off the base paths and get the necessary outs. He was the team leader in holds among pitchers still on the team roster at the end of the season. His struggles did not come until later in the season when he moved back into a starting role. Lynch IV will head into arbitration this offseason but I would expect to see him back in a Royals uniform next year.  

 

Steven Cruz: C+

 

After a rough first two months of the season Steven Cruz became a more reliable arm out of the bullpen as the season went on. In the months of April and May, Cruz allowed 13 runs in 14 innings pitched. However, as spring turned to summer, the numbers got better. Cruz had 8 saves, 5 holds and only 1 blown save in the months of June, July, August and September. In those months he threw 43.5 innings with 15 earned runs and 45 strikeouts. Cruz had an impressive 26.4% strikeout rate showing he can get batters out himself. He ended the season with a 4.55 FIP showing that there is still some refining to be done. If he can match his high velocity and keep his command consistent next year, he has the potential to be a solid late inning reliever.   

 

Lucas Erceg: D

 

Lucas Erceg was tough to watch starting in the month of April and continuing through the rest of the season. Erceg was not the reliever this year that we have seen in the past. Unfortunately, Lights Out Lucas was non-existent for the vast majority of this season. Although Lucas did save 13 games this season, most of those came early in the year before the struggles began and the blown saves started piling up in the months of April and May. Erceg's strikeout numbers declined and he ended the year with a 14.9% strikeout rate, showing his struggles getting batters to miss. He did not do himself any favors with a 14.0% walk rate and a 5.40 FIP, putting guys on base and getting himself into trouble. He became a late inning liability and the Royals sent him to AAA. After a tough year Erceg did get a save in the season finale. For us Royals fans, we can only hope this offseason is a reset to come back next season being the Lights Out Lucas we know. 

 

Matt Strahm: F

 

The trade deal sending Matt Strahm to Kansas City certainly did not work out for the Royals. In 35.2 innings pitched, Strahm had an ERA of 7.32 and gave up 12 home runs. Oftentimes those home runs resulted in the Royals losing their lead late in the game. Strahm was 0-4 in save opportunities as well. His astronomical 6.45 FIP truly shows how catastrophic his tenure was with the Royals. For a guy who was brought in to be a left-handed setup reliever it was a total disaster up until the Royals released him on August 8th. 

 

John Schreiber: C

 

Before being placed on waivers on August 29th, Schreiber appeared in 55 games for the Royals. In those 55 games he had 14 holds. However, his FIP of 4.88 hinted at trouble brewing. He was dominant against right-handed pitchers but struggled against lefties and his overall utility out of the bullpen became weaker as he posted a 17.7% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. With his strikeout-to-walk ratio being 36 strikeouts and 19 walks plus his struggles against left handed hitters, the Royals needed to make a move. Ultimately, the Royals parted ways with Schreiber and placed him on waivers where the Yankees picked up his contract. 

 

Nate Pearson: B

 

Nate Pearson came over at the trade deadline and did well for a team that did not have much of a chance at making the playoffs. The Royals acquired Pearson from the Astros on July 22nd and he made his first appearance on July 26th. He appeared in 26 games out of the bullpen with 25 strikeouts. Pearson's first month with the club was outstanding as he threw 12.2 innings with 13 strikeouts and only 1 earned run. His highly encouraging 3.87 FIP with the Royals showed signs of a potential premium right handed pitcher for the Royals bullpen. However, mid to late September was troublesome for Pearson as he allowed 12 runs on 10 hits in just 5 innings pitched. He will likely be a key piece to the Royals bullpen next year and hopefully we get the August version of Pearson that we saw this past summer.

 

Jose Cuas: B-

 

Jose Cuas moved up and down between the big leagues and AAA ball this season. Cuas made 24 appearances for the Royals this year and posted a 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched with 25 strikeouts. Cuas had an above average strikeout percentage of 25.5% but he also walked guys at a high rate posting a 14.3% walk rate. At times Cuas has struggled with his command and allowed more runners on base than the team would like which is why he was primarily used in low-leverage situations. Whether or not Cuas will return next season is up in the air as he will be fighting for a spot on the 40 man roster.

 

Nick Mears: D+

 

The Royals acquired Nick Mears ahead of the 2026 season from Milwaukee. He was brought in to be a middle-relief option but was sidelined most of the year with an injury that required surgery.  Before his arm gave out, Mears threw 19.1 innings and posted a 4.60 FIP. His 18.1% strikeout rate was significantly lower than the club expected when they acquired him. His 13.3% walk rate made it clear that he was pitching through pain and discomfort. Mears recovery timeline likely has him back sometime next summer where hopefully he can be the middle-relief guy the Royals need. 

 

Do you agree with these grades or would you grade some differently? What do the Royals need to do to fix their bullpen struggles this offseason? Let me know in the comments. 

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