The Royals' Bullpen Will Be Something to Watch in 2022
The 2022 Major League Baseball season is temporarily on hold due to negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. As a result, fans are hoping for a resolution to get their fix for baseball as soon as possible. Before the lockout occurred, the Kansas City Royals had holes to fill within their roster, including their bullpen. The group will certainly be something to watch in 2022.
Baseball has changed over the years. Starting pitchers used to throw complete games more often, and bullpens were not relied on as much. If the starters weren't throwing complete games, the setup man and the closer would be inserted into the game. Fast forward to today's game, and starting pitchers throw five to six innings and the bullpen is used at a much higher rate.
The term "long reliever is used," and fans could see four or five arms sent out during a single game. This concept is even more important to the Kansas City Royals. They released HDH (Herrera, Davis, Holland) during their mid-2010s playoff years, which shortened the game for starters and provided a tremendous amount of stability in the latter stages of games. The market adjusted accordingly and over time, relief pitchers got an increase in money.
Aug 22, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis (71) delivers against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Why the Royals' bullpen is important in 2022
The Royals have started inserting young pitchers into their starting rotation. We have seen Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar, Jon Heasley, and Angel Zerpa start for the team over the past year. By the team doing this, the pitchers will experience highs and lows. When they experience the lows, more innings will come from the bullpen and fans see why it plays a crucial role in winning games more than ever. The bullpen will be called upon to bail out the starters or hold the game intact in closely-contested battles.
Kansas City is losing some veteran leaders in Holland and Davis. Former first-round pick Kyle Zimmer is also a free agent. With these holes to fill, the Royals' front office will have some decisions to make. Will they turn to their farm system or sign some veteran free agents?
I anticipate them turning to the minor leagues with the organizational youth movement occurring. In 2021, the Royals inserted relief pitchers Jake Brentz, Dylan Coleman, and Ronald Bolaños into their bullpen. Brentz recorded the most major league service, pitching in 72 games and tossing 64 innings with a 3.66 ERA. Coleman dazzled with his fastball.
The Royals will be able to use their bullpen to call up young arms and get them MLB experience. We've witnessed this transition multiple times within the organization. Davis even transitioned from a starting pitcher role to the bullpen and became 'The Cyborg' — one of the most feared closers in the league.
Former Royal Danny Duffy even had a brief stint in the bullpen before returning to the starting rotation. Kowar threw some innings out of the bullpen after struggling at the MLB level. The final example was in 2021 with veteran Ervin Santana. The former full-time starter could spot-start if needed but was called on in long relief most of the time.
May 12, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy (30) pitches the ball during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Again, the bullpen plays a significant role in today's game by shortening the number of innings a starter throws. We are seeing these pitchers touch ridiculous numbers on the radar gun along with offering filthy, breaking stuff. If the Royals find players who fit this role, they could have something special in place for 2022 and beyond. That's easier said than done, but they will have some options.
