Kansas City Royals still holding out hope for Kyle Zimmer

Stop us if you heard this before – the Kansas City Royals are saying that Kyle Zimmer is healthy, and are optimistic that he will have his breakout campaign this year.

Here we go again. Kyle Zimmer, the Kansas City Royals first round draft pick, and the fifth overall selection in the 2012 MLB Draft, is back. The fact that his career has been derailed with injury after injury does not matter, because this time will be different! At least, that has been the mantra virtually every year, seemingly making it more likely that Zimmer is the Royals version of Sidd Finch than a viable major league prospect at this point.

But again, this time, it will be different. Zimmer never took the Royals last season, instead spending six months working with Driveline in an effort to regain strength and durability. For now, the results are there, with Zimmer stating that he is not feeling pain when pitching, and that his velocity is back.

Naturally, the Royals want to give Zimmer every chance to succeed in their system. Of course, there is also the concern that Zimmer would leave, find success elsewhere, and be another failed prospect in the Royals system that panned out someplace else.

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Obviously, results are going to matter. Thus far, whether due to injury or just ineffectiveness, Zimmer has not lived up to his billing as the fifth overall selection. Over his six minor league seasons, he has pitched just 259 innings, posting a 3.54 ERA and a 1.247 WHiP. His strikeout ability has been there, as Zimmer has notched 310 strikeouts, but he only has 20 games above the AA level.

His time in Omaha was hardly promising, as Zimmer posted a 5.79 ERA and a 1.561 WHiP over 32.2 innings. At 27 years old, and without having made a major league appearance, time is running out for Zimmer to make an impact at the major league level for the Royals.

Yet, 2019 might be the perfect storm. The Royals are in desperate need of help in the bullpen, and Zimmer could get a long look. Even though he is no longer on the 40 man roster, if Zimmer is pitching well and healthy, the Royals will find room. The additions of Zimmer, and potentially Richard Lovelady, could make the Royals bullpen better than expected in the coming year. Success could still be at hand, even if it took a different route than Zimmer or the Royals would have expected.

Kyle Zimmer is healthy, and the Kansas City Royals are cautiously optimistic that this will be the year that he breaks through. Maybe this time, those words will be more than hollow hopes that are dashed once Spring Training begins.