It’s Early, but Dylan Coleman Is Thriving in the Royals’ Bullpen
The Kansas City Royals haven't had the best of fortunes in their five games thus far in the 2022 season, but there has been at least one major bright spot. In three appearances on the year, relief pitcher Dylan Coleman has been fantastic.
Coleman, a fourth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Amateur Draft, came to Kansas City as a player to be named later (PTBNL) in the Trevor Rosenthal trade. When he joined the Royals' farm system, he was known as a flamethrowing right-hander with a repeatable delivery and a projectable frame. That's still an accurate description of him, but the results have been even more impressive since joining the organization.
Oct 3, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Dylan Coleman (65) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Coleman spent 57-2/3 innings in the minor leagues last year, splitting time between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. In 24-2/3 innings with the Naturals, he posted a 2.92 ERA (2.14 FIP) with a staggering 13.50 K/9. In 33 innings with the Storm Chasers, those figures were 3.55 (2.57) and 15.27. Coleman's fastball-slider combo was leading to a ton of swings and misses from hitters, prompting the MLB club to promote him near the end of the year.
In 6-1/3 innings with the Royals to cap off last summer, Coleman surrendered just one walk and one run with seven strikeouts. After a solid spring, the organization's No. 22 prospect made the Opening Day roster. His three innings of work in 2022 still leave him just short of 10 innings pitched at the highest level of baseball but with that said, he's done nothing but pick up right where he left off.
Coleman has pitched one inning thrice this season, recording four strikeouts in the process. He has yet to walk an opposing hitter, and he's allowed a pair of hits overall. His fastball velocity remains quite high, averaging 97.6 mph and topping out at 100.6 mph. He complements the fastball with a mid-80s slider that can get in the neighborhood of 88 mph as needed. Below is a breakdown of where each offering is landing this season:
Finding consistent command remains a point of emphasis for Coleman, as he was susceptible to walks earlier in his baseball career. With newfound ticks on his fastball and slider, being able to rein those pitches in and control them has been a tall task. In three appearances in 2022, though, he's been up for that challenge.
An ideal role for Coleman seems to be shutting games down. As a closer, he has the frame to withstand pumping heavy fastballs into the zone and maintaining that power slider over time. If the command gets sharper, that helps matters even more. Coleman has the potential to be a lethal threat in high-leverage situations long-term.
On the other hand, Coleman is still extremely early in his major league journey. As previously mentioned, he has yet to even reach the 10-inning mark. It's entirely possible — if not probable — that his production slips and he either slumps for an extended period of time or doesn't turn out to be a future stud reliever. From the Royals' perspective, however, he's been lights-out.
The 2022 campaign will prove to be a major test for Coleman. The potential is there for him to become a top-flight relief pitcher in due time, as his primary pitches lay one heck of a baseline for success. Anything beyond that will be determined by consistency, command and the possible implementation of another pitch. In the meantime, look for Kansas City to give this 25-year-old plenty of chances to show off his stuff.
