Daniel Lynch IV has earned more trust in this KC Royals bullpen heading into May

Heading into the 2025 season, the Kansas City Royals made one thing clear: they weren’t going to let their bullpen be the reason they stumbled out of the gate like they did in 2024.

Even after a strong second-half breakout from Lucas Erceg, the front office wasted no time reinforcing their late-inning options. They added veteran closer Carlos Estévez and bet on a bounce-back year from the hard-throwing Hunter Harvey. They expected a step forward from lefty Ángel Zerpa. But in a surprising twist, it’s Daniel Lynch IV — a former top starting pitching prospect — who’s quickly becoming one of the more dependable arms in the Royals’ bullpen.

Lynch, once a rotation hopeful with a career plagued by inconsistency, has suddenly found his stride working in relief. Through the first month of the season, the 28-year-old has been dominant posting 3-0 record and a strong 0.79 ERA over 11 appearances. He's already recorded a save and struck out eight batters across 11.1 innings.

Daniel Lynch IV has gone from rotation longshot to a trusted bullpen anchor

What makes Lynch’s case so compelling is how his underlying numbers validate the success. His expected batting average against sits at .170 — ranking in the top 5 percent of the major league — and his expected slugging (.269) is in the top 8 percent. Lynch isn’t getting lucky, he’s making it tough on hitters and limiting quality contact.

His barrel rate is an absurdly low 3.6 percent placing him among the elite. And he’s doing it while navigating a well-rounded five-pitch mix that’s keeping hitters off balance.

While his walk rate (11.9%) remains high — in fact the highest of his career — he’s made up for it by avoiding hard contact and commanding the zone better than previous years. His strikeout rate isn’t eye-popping at 19.0%, but the weak contact he’s generating is proving just as valuable.

With Angel Zerpa struggling to a 5.68 ERA and Chris Stratton failing to resemble the version of himself the Royals hoped they acquired last season (currently sitting at an 8.10 ERA), Lynch has carved out a legitimate late-inning role. The team should look to deploy a shutdown trio of Lynch, Erceg, and Estévez to lock down the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. It’s a luxury the Royals haven’t had in recent years — multiple trusted arms who can shorten games and slam the door.

What’s perhaps most impressive about Lynch’s early-season breakout is how far he’s come. Once penciled in as a starter of the future, he’s had to confront the realities of his career path — battling injuries and control issues. He wasn’t a lock to make the starting rotation out of spring training. Yet here he is, thriving in high-leverage situations.

In a season where every win could matter for a Royals team trying to push past their rebuilding phase, Daniel Lynch IV has emerged as a trusted bullpen option. Whether he’s bridging the gap to Estévez or shutting the door himself, Lynch has earned the trust of manager Matt Quatraro and the front office alike.