3 KC Royals pitchers who've taken full advantage of spring training opportunities

Steven Cruz, RHP

It is easy to forget how right-handed pitcher Steven Cruz came to the Royals organization. Ahead of the 2023 season, the Royals had some interesting veterans available via trade, and no seeming use for them on a middling, at best, club. One such roster was fielding savant, centerfielder Michael A. Taylor. Kansas City made a rare intra-divisional trade with the Minnesota Twins, sending the veteran to them in exchange for two pitchers — Cruz and left-hander Evan Sisk.

Fast forward to 2025, and both pitchers are now on the Royals’ 40-man roster, while Taylor has moved on to his fourth team in four years. Sisk’s deceptive arm slot and left-handed depth make him an easy bullpen piece to dream on, but Cruz has something Sisk doesn’t — major league experience.

The towering Dominican righty has 15 career MLB appearances, including five in 2024 across multiple stints with the Royals. In that span, he was as advertised, retiring 17 of 18 batters faced while striking out four.

Even in Triple-A Omaha, where Sisk and Walter Pennington drew much of the attention, Cruz quietly put together a strong season. In 47 appearances, he recorded three saves, a 3.33 ERA, and 56 strikeouts over 51⅓ innings — a solid performance, especially in the hitter-friendly International League.

Still, despite two strong minor league seasons and no glaring issues at the MLB level, Cruz has yet to get an extended bullpen look in Kansas City.

There’s still some bullpen shuffling to be done this spring, and Cruz has made his case. In seven Cactus League outings through March 15, he has recorded eight strikeouts to just two walks, carrying over the solid command he showed last season. He’s allowed two runs over seven innings, proving far from perfect but consistently effective.

The most exciting development? His fastball is ticking up.

Cruz’s four-seam velocity has steadily increased, peaking at 98.1 mph in his March 11 appearance against Arizona. The pitch still has above-average arm-side movement, and his extension helps it play up even more.

He has also been tinkering with a slider, an intriguing development for 2025. The movement profile is eerily similar to the wipeout slider of Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz, as well as new Royals teammate Carlos Estévez’s 2024 version. His command of the pitch still needs work, but if it comes together, it could be the key to unlocking more strikeout upside at the next level.

Cruz wasn't a favorite to break camp with the Royals, but at 25 years old, he has done plenty of good things this spring. His velocity jump, command improvements, and new slider make him an intriguing bullpen option for 2025. While he may start the season in Omaha, his name should stay on Royals fans’ radars — because his long-awaited extended MLB opportunity might finally be on the horizon.