Kansas City Royals: Five things to watch during 2019 Opening Day

NUMBER 3 – DOES THE BULLPEN LOOK BETTER?

The bullpen was tough to watch last year, especially when you consider that it’s the very thing that got the Royals to the pinnacle in 2014 and 2015. It’s dropped off significantly since then, as the Royals were second to last in bullpen ERA a season ago.

While fans shouldn’t expect the bullpen to improve in one offseason, Dayton Moore has made some moves showing he got the message last year.

Two of the big names brought in to shore up the bullpen were Brad Boxberger and Jake Diekman, both of whom have several years of experience in the big leagues. Boxberger should compete for the closer job (Wily Peralta held the role in the second half of the season) while Diekman can be a nice setup man or even just a guy who puts out fires.

Kyle Zimmer is an exciting name to watch this year, as he’s finally getting his opportunity to pitch in the big leagues. Can Zimmer, Boxberger, and Diekman be enough to turn the bullpen around?