The Kansas City Royals Are Rich With the Currency of Baseball
For the majority of general manager Dayton Moore’s tenure, the Kansas City Royals have utilized drafts to acquire pitching prospects. We have even seen it in the international pool by getting Yordano Ventura and Carlos Hernandez. Moore has said that pitchers are the currency of baseball, and it's apparent he believes this by the talent culminating in the minor leagues.
We are seeing the first wave of pitching prospects make the major league roster in guys like Scott Barlow, Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, Josh Staumont, and Brady Singer. We have witnessed a glimpse of Jackson Kowar, who is putting on a clinic in Triple-A Omaha. With that said, let's dive in and dissect some of the pitchers the average fan may not be aware of. Some non-household names could one day make an impact with the MLB club or serve as currency in trade pieces for the next World Series run.
A storm is coming from Omaha
If you are leaving Kauffman Stadium and hop on I-70 West to catch I-29 North, just proceed to drive approximately 193 miles. With one exit and a few back roads, you will find yourself at Werner Park, the home of the Omaha Storm Chasers — the Royals' Triple-A affiliate. On this roster, there are some familiar faces like Jakob Junis, Tyler Zuber, Chance Adams, Jake Newberry and Eric Skoglund.
I want to pick out some hurlers who are showing good potential and look to be making an appearance at the major league level. The first pitcher is 6'5", 230-pound right-hander Dylan Coleman. On November 5th, 2020 the Kansas City Royals traded Trevor Rosenthal to the San Diego Padres. In return, the Royals landed Edward Olivares and a player-to-be-named-later. Coleman was that. Diego Solares, who writes for Friar Faithful Chronicle, wrote up a prospect profile on Dylan Coleman:
“His go-to complement to his fastball is a solid breaking ball that flashes above-average potential. He is the type of arm where everything is going to play off his big-time fastball, but being able to flip this breaking pitch into the zone to give hitters different looks and tunneling it well with his heater will be effective. His third offering is a changeup that he lacks complete feel for and tends to get on the side of it, rather than getting on top. It profiles best as a fringe-average offering.”
Coleman has pitched in 33 games in 2021, throwing 41.2 innings with a 3.89 ERA. He has struck out 66 batters and has a WHIP of 1.10, and an overall record of 3-1. If Coleman can continue to show that he can handle high-leverage situations out of the bullpen, I would expect him to get a look at the MLB level in 2022.
A goldmine in Northwest Arkansas
The Kansas City Royals have stocked up on young arms, and some very talented prospects can be seen with the Royals' Double-A affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. This includes pitchers like Jonathan Bowlan, who underwent Tommy John surgery recently, Austin Cox, Alec Marsh and Jon Heasley.
Daniel Tillo is intriguing and just returned from Tommy John. With that said, the majority of the names listed have been mentioned before by others. Devoted Royals fans likely know who most of them are. The two I am going to talk about are Angel Zerpa and Yefri Del Rosario.
Angel Zerpa
Zerpa is a six-footer who weighs in at 220 pounds and throws lefthanded. Zerpa signed with the Kansas City Royals out of Venezuela in 2016. His MLB prospect write up said the following:
“A natural strike-thrower, Zerpa can generate weak contact with his average fastball, which has plenty of sink and sits in the low 90s. He has a breaking ball that’s more of a slider shape, one that’s hard and lands sharply, and commands the pitch well. His mid-80s changeup has good drop and plays well off the fastball. Zerpa’s delivery is from a lower arm slot, which makes it hard for hitters to pick the ball out of his hand. The Royals have helped him with working from the stretch, to keep him compact and quicker to the plate while not diminishing his stuff.
Zerpa has promising stuff, but his pitchability is what puts him on another level. Even at a young age, the Royals are impressed by how he’s able to use his repertoire past just the pure talent to get hitters out. He also gets high marks for his mound presence, his confidence, and his ability to field his position. That, plus the physical maturity and three-pitch mix, gives him a chance to remain a starter for now, but there’s also a path to a big-league bullpen."
So far in 2021, Zerpa has pitched at two levels: High-A and Double-A. He has a combined record of 4-3 with an ERA of 4.63. He has thrown 72 innings with 85 strikeouts and his WHIP is 1.292. Zerpa is on the Royals' 40-man roster due to the team not wanting to lose him in the Rule 5 Draft. This presents a good reason why Royals fans could see Zerpa in spring training and possibly pitching for the team in 2022.
Yefri Del Rosario
Del Rosario was acquired in 2016 due to the Atlanta Braves' international violations. He is 6'2", 180 pounds and is right-handed. He will be turning just 22 years old soon and has displayed a lively fastball. In 2021, Rosario has started 9 games for the Travelers and pitched 50 innings. His record is 2-1 with an ERA of 6.62, and a WHIP of 1.689. Rosario’s MLB prospect write up said the following:
"Del Rosario has a quick and electric arm with a fastball that hits 97 mph. His breaking ball is somewhat of a hybrid between a curve and slider, but it’s tight and sharp. He has a good feel for a changeup, with a chance for the pitch to be above average once he develops it a bit more. Rosario could be added to the 40-man roster, and one to pay attention to when spring training starts in 2022. If he has a good camp he could be a bullpen piece for the Royals in 2022."
The future looks bright
Other players on the rise include Zach Haake, Will Klein, Ben Hernandez, highly touted draft pick Asa Lacy and the recently acquired Kasey Kalich. These pitchers are young and learning the ins and outs of being professional players. They are projected to make the Royals' MLB roster in the years to come.
The unique thing about baseball is with limited spots on the roster, some of these players very well could be used to acquire more proven commodities. Moore has stated he would like the Royals to compete in 2022. Not every one of these prospects will work out for Kansas City, but some will have significant roles — whether it's starting games or thriving out of the bullpen. In the end, the future looks bright for the Royals' currency of the game of baseball.
