Amir Garrett Loves Being on the Royals: ‘Butterflies in My Stomach'
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When the Kansas City Royals traded pitcher Mike Minor for Amir Garrett, they were taking a chance on a player who may have needed a change of scenery. Just a few weeks into the 2022 MLB season, it appears that Garrett is benefitting from his new environment in a major way.
After a few years of fine-tuning, Garrett had finally put together something that worked with the Cincinnati Reds. In 2019 and 2020, he posted ERAs of 3.43 and 3.23 while striking out more than 12 hitters per nine innings in both seasons. His fastball-slider combination downright overpowered hitters, as they couldn't contend with either pitch. Somewhere along the way, however, Garrett lost something.
Last season was a borderline disaster for Garrett. In his age-28 season — right in the middle of his prime — the hard-throwing lefty struggled with command and consistency all year long. His ERA spiked to 6.04, the second-highest figure of his career. He also struggled to maintain his love for baseball. Garrett has rekindled that fire in Kansas City and after getting his first win as a Royal on Tuesday night, he spoke glowingly about his time with the team thus far.
Apr 9, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Amir Garrett (24) pitches the ball against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith (FLO)-USA TODAY Sports
"It's been a pleasure being here," Garrett said. "I haven't had this feeling in almost two years. The times I've come in to pitch, I've had butterflies in my stomach. That was a feeling I had lost the last two years. When I was at my best, I had that feeling every single time I went out there to pitch. I'm loving the game, I'm loving going out there and having fun, I'm loving competing, and I just want to stay right there."
Garrett has been used sparingly in the opening weeks of the season, but he's produced well when called on. In 3-1/3 innings across three appearances, he has yet to surrender a run. His longest stint came on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, as the lefty took a whopping 37 pitches to get through his 1-2/3-inning slate. He bridged the gap between starter Carlos Hernandez and the final pieces of Mike Matheny's bullpen, paving the way for a Royals win.
A high-intensity and fierce competitor, Garrett is an electrifying player both on and off the mound. While he won't hit the 30-year-old mark until his birthday in a couple of weeks, he's emerged as a leadership presence in Kansas City. The Royals are getting younger as a team, somehow leaving Garrett as one of the elder statesmen in their bullpen. Garrett says he's excited about the future and wants to help as much as he can.
Apr 19, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Amir Garrett (24) celebrates as he leaves the mound against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
"I'm loving it so far," Garrett said. "I want to come out here and do as good as I can and even if I'm not pitching, I want to bring the energy to this team. This is a great team that we have over here, and I'm going to give them everything I've got. If I'm pitching or if I'm not pitching, my attitude every single day is going [to be] come in here, I'm going to try to get guys up and get them as ready for the game as possible no matter what. It's been a great experience and I'm looking forward to the future with these guys."
