Bullpen Is Kansas City Royals' Biggest Strength So Far In 2016

In their quest to repeat as world champions, the Kansas City Royals have endured a few injuries, as well as a season-long struggle scoring runs. However, the Royals have found a way to make it to the top of the AL Central, and if they can make it back to the World Series in 2016, it’ll be due in large part to their bullpen, the unit that helped them reach the Fall Classic each of the last two years and their biggest strength so far this season.

Not surprisingly, Kansas City has the lowest ERA of any bullpen in baseball. The Royals have also gotten 12 wins from their bullpen, the second most in the majors, as the group has done a great job of supporting a solid but unspectacular starting rotation. Just as it has the past two seasons, the Kansas City bullpen has been responsible for the Royals being able to win close, low-scoring games, which is why they lead a competitive division that has four teams which could conceivably win the division title.

Leading the way is closer Wade Davis, who has converted 15-of-16 save opportunities and carries an ERA of 0.96, just a hair higher than the 0.93 ERA he posted last season. Primary setup man Kelvin Herrera has been nearly as good, pitching to a 1.08 ERA and striking batters out at a high rate. The duo of Davis and Herrera is the best late-inning tandem in baseball and allows the Royals to shorten games, taking a great deal of pressure off their pitchers.

Of course, there’s far more to Kansas City’s bullpen than just Davis and Herrera. Luke Hochevar continues to be one of the most reliable setup men in baseball, while former closer Joakim Soria has been a good addition to the Royals, giving their bullpen the same depth it’s had in past years. Finally, the presence of veteran pitchers like Dillon Gee, Chris Young and Chien-Ming Wang have given Kansas City’s bullpen both quality depth and experience, two elements that rare to find coexisting in bullpens nowadays.

Just as we’ve seen the past couple years, the Kansas City bullpen is the best in baseball from top to bottom. The Royals are capable of shutting down opponents with power arms late in games, as well as the depth to handle any situation they may encounter. If the Royals do indeed have another deep postseason run in them in 2016, their bullpen will be front and center.