Kansas City Royals Bullpen Battle: Spring Training Week 1

Every week this season, we will be taking a look at the relievers in the Kansas City Royals bullpen as well as a select few in the minor leagues. Each player’s performance over the last seven days will be highlighted – for better or for worse. The pitchers are broken up into four categories: potential call-ups, on the bubble, safe, and locks.

Pitchers and catchers reported to the Royals’ complex in Surprise this past Tuesday. The team has yet to play a game; nothing’s set as of now. As a result, this week we will be trying to predict the members of the Royals’ Opening Day bullpen. As camp rolls along, players could impress and work their way closer to locking up a spot on the roster. They could struggle and find their place on the team in jeopardy. Those results will be reflected here week to week.

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For the purpose of this exercise let’s assume the Royals break camp with an 8-man bullpen. The starting rotation will be made up of Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Nate Karns, Jake Junis, and Jason Hammel.

Although the glory days of the Kansas City bullpen are firmly in the rear view mirror, there are still plenty of intriguing names vying for a spot on the roster. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some and try to predict where they all will fall into place heading into the 2018 season.