Grading the Royals' 2026 bullpen exposes a major concern

Now that we’re well past the end of the regular season, it is the perfect time to pinpoint what went wrong for the Kansas City Royals in 2026.

It’s no secret that the team’s pitching staff struggled mightily through an array of injuries and prolonged funks, but it was the bullpen that ultimately became the Royals’ undoing. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering that so many games are truly decided in the last few innings.  

If you were to construct a winning baseball team, where would you focus most of your attention first? Obviously scoring runs is key to actually winning games but you also have to make sure that you prevent your opponents from hanging runs on the scoreboard as well. Just look at this year’s playoff bracket. Nearly every team that played baseball in October had a top 10 pitching staff.    

Outside of the Tampa Bay Rays, the three other teams to make it to the Championship Series also had an elite bullpen that boasted a combined ERA below 4.00. On the flip side, the Royals’ bullpen had an ERA over 5.00. Throw in 26 blown saves and it was a recipe for disaster all season. But surely a few relievers pitched well enough to score decent grades, right? 

The collapse of the Royals’ bullpen can be traced all the way back to March   

It’s hard to imagine how the 2026 season could have gone any worse for the Kansas City Royals' bullpen. Once closer Carlos Estévez entered into his one and only game this season, the wheels on the bullpen immediately fell off. Estevez was shelled for six earned runs against the Atlanta Braves on March 28 despite being given a 2-0 lead in the 9th inning.   

In the aftermath of that dreadful game, Estévez was placed on the IL with a left foot contusion. A strained rotator cuff while rehabbing ensured that he would be unable to pitch for the remainder of the season. Like a chain reaction, the other components of the Royals’ bullpen were jostled out of place and not a single pitcher could help restore balance. 

But how can you encapsulate that level of struggle into a single grade for each pitcher? Well, we’re going to try. In order for a Royals’ reliever to be eligible to receive a report card, they had to finish the season on the team’s roster and complete at least 30 innings out of the pen. 

Daniel Lynch IV: B+ 

Standing head and shoulders above the rest of the bullpen is Daniel Lynch IV. Not just because he is listed at 6-foot-6 but because he was especially good out of the bullpen in 2026. In 46 innings as a reliever, Lynch sported a 1.96 ERA and a 0.935 WHIP, both of which ranked as the top mark of any pitcher in the bullpen. If it wasn’t for the aforementioned injuries to the Royals’ pitching staff, Lynch could have easily continued his performance through the remainder of the year.   

While he didn’t dominate opposing batters with overpowering stuff, Lynch found a way to avoid the big inning. He allowed multiple earned runs just twice out of the bullpen, demonstrating his ability to work out of danger. His impressive 3.06 FIP as a reliever also helped reinforce that idea. All of that was thrown out the window once Lynch rejoined the starting rotation, but his strong season through July shouldn’t be forgotten.       

Steven Cruz: C

With one of the most lively arms in the Royal’s bullpen, Steven Cruz has a lot to offer as a pitcher. Not only can he blow pitches right past hitters, but he can induce his fair share of ground balls. Unfortunately, Cruz has struggled to put everything together as an effective reliever, limiting his potential at the moment. We saw that mixed bag of results on display in 2026. 

In 23 games across June and July, Cruz sported a 2.16 ERA while striking out 26 batters in 25 innings. He also walked just six batters throughout that stretch. While not truly elite work, it showed just how good Cruz could be for the Royals. However, he never really came close to replicating those two strong months throughout the rest of the season. That has been the Steven Cruz experience so far in his career.  

Lucas Erceg: D 

When Estévez went down at the start of the year, the Royals turned to Erceg to fill in as the team’s closer. After all, it’s a role that he has had experience with in the past. Although he collected 11 saves through the end of May, it was nearly impossible to justify Erceg remaining in the role. In his first 23 appearances, he had allowed 28 hits and 13 walks in just 21.1 innings of work. 

Nearly allowing two base runners an inning is not exactly the winning formula you’d expect from your closer. After floundering around through mid-summer, Erceg was demoted to Triple-A Omaha in August. But to his credit, he took that demotion seriously and worked on his craft in the minor leagues. After getting called back up to the Royals in September, Erceg tossed five scoreless innings in five games, even earning another save. That positive blip is the only reason for his slightly higher grade.  

Mason Black: D-

Despite being a third round selection of the San Francisco Giants in the 2021 MLB Draft, Mason Black has not come close to pitching like one. After struggling to find his place with the Giants over the last few seasons, Black was traded to the Royals for prospect Logan Martin last November. The hope was that a change of scenery could be what the right-handed pitcher needed to get back on track. 

His 6.48 FIP in 2026 is proof that Kansas City may not be the location for that change to happen. With his 5.7 walks per nine rate higher than his 5.5 strikeouts per nine rate, Black struggled to command the strike zone this season. Without the ability to get hitters to hit the ball on the ground, Black saw hard contact on 46.5% of all contact. Those results make it difficult to imagine Black having a role on the Royals next season.   

Alex Lange: F 

With his -1.1 fWAR season in 2026, Alex Lange was tied with New York Yankees pitcher Tim Hill for the worst mark for an MLB reliever with at least 50 innings of work. No matter how you slice it, that is simply not good enough. After signing with the Royals last November, Lange was viewed as an interesting option to come out of the bullpen. By the end of May, it looked like the Royals may have found a hidden gem in Lange.  

That success was short-lived. Like Erceg, he was also tapped as a potential closer following Estévez's injury. Unfortunately, Lange was also wildly inconsistent in that role. Opposing batters boasted a robust .885 OPS off of Lange on the year, a figure that will only ever end in failure for a pitcher. He ended the season, and possibly his Royals’ career, surrendering seven home runs in 7.1 innings of work in September.      

Honorable mention: Anthony Gose 

It wouldn’t feel right not mentioning Anthony Gose. After taking the long road to convert from an outfielder to a pitcher midway through his career, Gose saw his most success as a reliever during his brief stint with the Royals in 2026. In 14 appearances this season, Gose coughed up a single home run in 13.2 innings of work. It was the only earned run he gave up this year, resulting in an eye-popping 0.66 ERA. His 0.951 WHIP was nothing to scoff at either. 

Gose averaged 95.7 mph on his fastball in 2026, which wouldn’t be noteworthy for a typical pitcher. But as a converted position player who overcame Tommy John surgery in 2022, it is awfully impressive. For a pitcher who sported a 4.89 ERA in 39 games for Triple-A Omaha in 2026, Gose wasn’t expected to offer much for the Royals this season. Despite that, he became the team’s best reliever in September. That deserves some special recognition.  

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