Royals’ Lucas Erceg Finding His Groove With Dominant Recent Stretch

To start the 2026 season, right-hander Lucas Erceg struggled. He lacked the strikeout ability he is known for and had a couple of blown saves, which is uncharacteristic of him. Things just were not clicking early.

But as of late, Erceg has started to figure it out and is looking like his old self. Over his last six appearances out of the bullpen, he has not allowed a run, highlighted by eight strikeouts.

The strikeouts are what stand out most. When Erceg arrived in Kansas City in July 2024, he instantly became a key arm in the Royals bullpen. A right-handed flamethrower, he featured high velocity and the ability to strike out batters.

In 2024, Erceg posted elite metrics. With an average fastball velocity of 98.6 mph, what stood out most was his 28.5% strikeout rate along with a 31.0% whiff rate, according to Statcast.

In January 2025, the Royals signed Carlos Estévez, who stepped into the closer role and freed Erceg to serve as the top “fireman” and setup man. While he was still effective in that role, posting a 2.64 ERA, his strikeouts dipped, finishing the year with a 19.3% strikeout rate.

That dip in strikeout ability carried into the start of this season, as Lucas Erceg recorded just four strikeouts over his first 7.1 innings.

But that has recently changed, with eight strikeouts over his last six appearances, which is a major positive sign. He is tied for the second-most saves in MLB with nine. No one enjoys shutting the door more than Lucas Erceg, which he shows through his emotions and, most recently, his postgame interviews. It has been a clear sign of vintage Erceg of late.