Kansas City Royals Bullpen Has Been a Disaster Thus Far
By David Hill
The Kansas City Royals have been known for their shutdown bullpen over the past few years. If the first two games of 2017 are any indication, that will not be the case this year.
Over the past few years, the Kansas City Royals formula to win games has been simple. They make a lot of contact and try to force the opposition into mistakes by constantly putting the ball into play on offense. Defensively, they field a Gold Glove caliber player at virtually every position. On the pitching side, they looked to shorten the game as much as possible with a shutdown bullpen, asking their starting rotation to hold a lead for the first five or six innings before turning the ball over.
That strategy worked well over the past three years. With pitchers like Greg Holland, Wade Davis, Luke Hochevar, and Kelvin Herrera, the Royals bullpen was the envy of baseball. Their relief corps were a major part in their consecutive World Series appearances, culminating with a championship in 2015. Even though the 2016 campaign was a disappointment, the Royals still ranked fifth in baseball with a 3.45 ERA from their bullpen.
This year, the faces have changed. Holland had left following the 2015 season as he would miss the following year due to Tommy John surgery, and signed with the Rockies. Hochevar was allowed to test free agency, and remains unsigned. Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Jorge Soler. Only Herrera remains from that formidable group, as the Royals are pinning their hopes on Joakim Soria, Matt Strahm, and a collection of castoffs to continue the tradition.
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While we are just two games into the season, to call the Royals bullpen a dumpster fire would be an insult…to dumpster fires. Through two games, and five total innings, the Royals bullpen has allowed 12 runs. This comes to a 21.60 ERA. Sadly, that number is an improvement from their performance in Game One, where the Royals relief corps had an ERA of 27.00.
Strahm, in particular, has been awful. In his two appearances, he has looked completely overmatched, allowing six runs on three hits and three walks while getting just two outs. However, he is far from the only culprit, as Nate Karns and Travis Wood have been getting pummeled like they were Ronda Rousey in her last two fights. It has been ugly, making Royals fans long for the days of Hipolito Pichardo and Kyle Farnsworth.
Yes, it is just two games. And yes, the Royals may well turn their season around, with the bullpen once again becoming a strength. However, given the turnover, and the giant question marks surrounding virtually every reliever on the roster, those hopes may turn out to be false. If the bullpen continues to falter, it could be a long year in Kansas City.
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The Kansas City Royals bullpen has been a strength in recent years. This season, through two games, it is turning out to be their Achilles Heel.