4 Royals on Thin Ice Heading Into Opening Day
By Joe Summers
3. Angel Zerpa - RP
Zerpa is only 24 years old and has shown great promise centered around a fastball that opponents hit just .226 off of last year, but Kansas City suddenly has a loaded bullpen and not enough spots to fit everyone.
With relievers like Carlos Hernandez on the injured list, Zerpa has a chance to stick in the bullpen with a solid start to the campaign. He had a 4.85 ERA in 15 games in 2023, but gave up 46 hits in 42.2 innings and surrendered seven home rus, ranking poorly in hard hit percentage.
Given his age and lack of service time, Zerpa is a guy I could see going back to the minor leagues if he struggles early on in 2024.
Ángel Zerpa, Pickoff. 😀 pic.twitter.com/5XMKhCHkvI
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 17, 2023
He's got a nasty pick-off move and walked only eight batters last year with a stellar groundball rate. Zerpa's profile fits someone that can be a core piece of the bullpen long-term.
Since Kansas City intends to be competitive this year though, that might mean Zerpa needs a bit more time to develop and increase his whiff rate.