Should the KC Royals be concerned about Lucas Erceg?

Lucas Erceg pitched well against the San Francisco Giants on March 19. Working in the type of tight, high-leverage situation he handled so well for the Kansas City Royals during their successful pursuit of a playoff spot last season — and despite catcher Kale Emshoff's errant throw that allowed Grant McCray to move to third after stealing second — Erceg preserved the 1-1 tie he inherited in the eighth inning. He faced only four batters, didn't give up a hit or a run, and struck out two.

Erceg pitching effectively, and surviving a potential tie-breaking scare not of his own making was — despite his team's eventual 3-1 loss — a welcome sight. This hasn't been a stellar spring for the reliever who quickly claimed the closer's role after coming to the club late last July via a trade deadline deal with the Athletics. In fact, he entered Wednesday night's game with a 7.71 ERA in seven Cactus League games, and opponents were batting .323 against him.

But after he so efficiently turned back the Giants, should the Royals consider all to be well with Erceg?

The KC Royals shouldn't be too worried about Lucas Erceg

His latest work was certainly good, but it doesn't prove Erceg is free from the spottiness he's displayed this spring. He gave up three runs, four hits, and a walk in an inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 11, and in a March 1 inning against the Chicago Cubs, he yielded two runs on two hits and a pair of walks.

But although 2025 will be only his third season in the majors, Erceg is no stranger to big league rough spots. During his rookie season with the A's in 2023, opponents battered him for 14 runs in a seven-appearance, seven-inning stretch from late June to mid-July, and he coughed up nine runs in just four innings across six games not long after that. And in a miserable three-consecutive game stint for the Royals last year, he blew two saves, took two losses, and was charged with seven runs in just two total innings.

But he bounced back in style in both campaigns.

Following that second rocky stretch with the A's two seasons ago, he was charged with only three runs in 20.2 innings (1.31 ERA) and went 2-1 over his final 18 appearances of the year. After his three straight bad games for the Royals last season, Erceg yielded only one earned run, posted a 0.84 ERA, held opponents to a .158 average, and saved six games over his last nine regular season appearances.

And now, after the Diamondbacks knocked him around on March 11, he hasn't given up a run and has six strikeouts in three appearances covering three innings.

So, with Opening Day just days away, the Royals and their fans can't be too worried — if worried at all — about Erceg. The right-hander, who could end up competing with newcomer Carlos Estévez for the closer role, doesn't seem to be pitching much differently than he has before. It won't be surprising to see him back in the form that produced a 23-game 2.88 ERA and 11 saves after he arrived in Kansas City from Oakland last July.