Royals All-Star Carlos Estévez Reveals Turning Point During Excellent Season

Life as a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball is about as high-stress as it gets.

Every time any reliever takes the ball, especially a closer, anything but a clean inning is considered a failure. And when it's the ninth inning and there are three outs separating a team from a crucial win, that pressure is exponentially higher.

Kansas City Royals closer Carlos Estévez has had his share of failures in 2025, but on the whole, it's been a fantastic first season with his new team. In fact, the righty seems to believe that one of his worst outings may have played a key role in his overall success.

Carlos Estévez recalls pivotal Cardinals doubleheader

On June 5, Estévez took the ball in the bottom of the 10th inning of game one of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, his team clinging to a one-run lead with the ghost runner on second. Not only did he allow the tying run to score, but the Cardinals pushed across the winning run with only one out on a Willson Contreras walk-off single.

But, undaunted, Estévez came back that very same night and recorded a save with the Royals holding onto a two-run lead in game two. It was a perfect inning, and according to the 32-year-old, it went a long way toward building trust with his new team.

"Oh yeah, I remember that day. The whole time that (Game 2) was playing out, I was just like, ‘Get me into this game,’” Estévez said, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. “I was praying. I couldn’t wait. And it was funny because it was the same guys, and a 1-2-3 inning. I was like, ‘There we go. I can put this day behind me.’

"I remember that (pitching coach) Brian Sweeney didn’t even come talk to me in between games, no one was talking to me. I was really mad about that first game. But then when we went out to the bullpen for Game 2, I told them I was good to go.”

Though Estévez was already having a good season, with a 1.95 ERA at the conclusion of play that day, it was a moment his teammates now call upon when they look for an example of the ideal mentality for a reliever.

“That was a catalyst for me, I think,” said Daniel Lynch IV, per Rogers. “It helped me to see, like, ‘Dude, you got to want to have the next one.' Especially after a rough one. That’s how you get better. You can’t be living in fear.”

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