Young Royals Reliever 'Turning Heads' At Spring Training

The Kansas City Royals have put together a solid team for 2025. They signed pitchers Michael Wacha, Michael Lorenzen and Carlos Estevez while also trading for Jonathan India.

But those players aren't the only ones to be excited about as spring training progresses. The Royals bullpen looks better thanks to the addition of Estevez, and it should be a strength heading into the 2025 season.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently listed several players from each Major League team that are "turning heads." The first player on the list for the Royals was left-hander Angel Zerpa.

"The Royals have rebuilt the backend of their bullpen with multiple potential closers in Carlos Estévez and Lucas Erceg and a strong group of set-up relievers. Zerpa, however, is the one turning heads in camp. The lefty appeared in 60 games last season, posting a 3.86 ERA," Bowden reported.

"He pounds the bottom of the strike zone, which is why he ranked in the 96th percentile in ground-ball rate. His fastball is 96-98 mph, and his slider is wipeout caliber, as opposing batters hit just .214 against it last year. The 25-year-old just needs to improve command and control. So far this spring, it looks like he’s making progress in those areas."

Zerpa obviously had a strong season in 2024 and helped get the Royals to the postseason for the first time since 2015. But if he can continue his upward trend, the Royals bullpen should be lights out in 2025.

For his career, he owns a 3.85 ERA in 79 appearances.

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