AL Central: Bullpen blues in KC
Jun 4 2026
Things have turned ugly for Lucas Erceg, as he has blown three straight saves while also getting shelled in a no-decision appearance on May 24; all told, he has given up 9 ER over his last 3 IP, raising his ERA from 3.26 to 6.45 over the last two weeks. Royals manager Matt Quatraro has said the team plans to stick with Erceg at closer, but these sorts of statements tend to stay valid only as long as the next blown save, and Erceg's 4.78 xERA, 4% K-BB%, and 10 BPV all suggest that his struggles are likely to continue.
It wasn't that long ago that Erceg was a speculative saves favorite, when he was coming off of a 2024 season where he put up a 3.36 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 28% K%, 14.3% SwK, and 3.07 xERA while picking up 14 saves....
Almost!
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