3 breakout bullpen candidates who could surprise Royals in 2026

The Kansas City Royals, or any MLB team, should never turn away prospective help in the bullpen. A team’s relief corps isn’t something that could be depleted at one point or another; it is something that certainly will.

All it takes is one poor start or a rough road trip for a bullpen to need reinforcements, allowing the main cogs to gain rest and be available for another day. This depth is a luxury of sorts, one that teams come to appreciate when they need it the most. For all the strengths of the Los Angeles Dodgers, there is a reason they had to turn to Royals castoffs like Matt Sauer and Chris Stratton amidst their 2025 World Series winning campaign.

The Royals had their depth tested, and step up, in their own right. While players like John Schreiber and Angel Zerpa were not perfect in 2025, they were available and each logged a career high in games played. But they were established big-league players heading into 2025.

The Royals appreciated those players really filling in across the season, like Jonathan Bowlan. He only had three MLB games played before this season, but he pitched 44.1 innings and filled in for multiple Royals going down with injuries or fatigue.

The real question is who could have a Bowlan-esque rise in 2026?

Former starter Luinder Avila seems poised to stick in the big-league bullpen and see a jump from his measely 13 appearances in 2025. But who could be the taxi squad staple that Kansas City surely will turn to at one point in 2026?

Here are three internal options that could see a rise in big-league opportunities.

3 breakout bullpen candidates who could surprise Royals in 2026

RHP Eric Cerantola

When the Royals added pitcher Eric Cerantola to the 40-man roster ahead of last year’s Rule 5 Draft protection deadline, the move was curious but also an investment in the player.

Cerantola only had 13 Triple-A games in 2024, and the results were not screaming “ready-made big-league reliever.” But perhaps the Royals had an idea of what the former Mississippi State Bulldog would turn into in 2025, when he put up some immaculate metrics in Omaha.

Sure, his 4.04 ERA doesn’t exactly scream dominant future closer, but his command took a big step forward, his pitch sequencing improved, and the silly swings were aplenty.

Most of Cerantola’s struggles last year came off the long ball and issuing free bases. While his called-ball percentage grew a bit (38% in 2024 to 39.1% in 2025), his walks dropped from 15.5% in 2024 to 11.3% in 2025. He was able to induce more fly balls that even the run-scoring environment of Werner Park couldn’t consistently turn into home runs, a small but meaningful sign the odds were finally tilting in his favor.

Cerantola has a simple four-seam fastball/slider mix, with the latter earning a 70-grade from FanGraphs in 2025. Both pitches helped Cerantola find success this winter in the Dominican Winter League.

He made 12 appearances for the Águilas Cibaeñas, only allowing two earned runs while striking out 16 of the 49 batters he faced. It was a strong foray abroad for Cerantola, the kind of winter proving ground that often previews a breakout, and he hopes to be a factor for his home country, Canada, in the next World Baseball Classic.

Cerantola’s 2025 numbers are similar to Steven Cruz’s from 2023, the year he made his Royals debut and stepped forward into the bullpen hierarchy. His biggest question has always been the command, and if he keeps that in check in 2026, there should be no reason Cerantola isn’t one of the first bullpen depth options Kansas City turns to next season.

With his electric stuff, once that call-up happens, he has the arsenal to turn a simple depth role into something much more steady.

LHP Chazz Martinez

Pitcher Chazz Martinez isn’t as close as Cerantola is to The Show, but the current situation in Kansas City may help his case.

The Royals are lacking any left-handed relief options outside Zerpa and Daniel Lynch IV heading into 2026. Sure, Bailey Falter may end up in the bullpen after Kansas City tendered him a contract without a slam-dunk rotation spot, but he may not have a long leash after his 2025 issues.

The southpaw Martinez made his Triple-A debut this past season, with 30.1 innings pitched in Omaha after a dominant start to the season in Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Unless Kansas City brings in another depth option pitching from the left side, Martinez may see his chance come sooner rather than later.

Martinez had a rough first month in Triple-A, but settled down to allow only one earned run in September with 10 strikeouts to five walks. The former Oklahoma Sooners pitcher leans on his sinker and slider against batters, but his changeup has the best whiff rate (33.3%) and xwOBA (.277) in his three-pitch arsenal.

His sidearm delivery is a different look and akin to what Evan Sisk showed in Omaha, the kind of angle that can make left-handed hitters look like they’re frozen at the plate.

This is a fit more out of opportunity rather than pure talent, but it’s a fit nonetheless. He did not allow a ton of quality contact in Triple-A, so that will have to be his calling card if he ever makes it to Kauffman Stadium.

RHP A.J. Causey

The most recent draftee out of the three, pitcher A.J. Causey made his professional debut this year and ended up in Double-A with stellar results. The 2024 fifth-round pick may not have had standout game-level stats in college, but he turned that around quickly on the farm.

Causey split the season fairly evenly between High-A Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas, with 27 and 21 games at each level, respectively. He accrued a 1.72 ERA and 2.28 FIP in his 73.1 innings pitched.

There was plenty to like about Causey’s season, whether it be his stellar 4.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio or the fact that he didn’t allow a home run all year long. Another sidearm pitcher, Causey’s results are impossible to ignore, and it is worth wondering how he builds upon this in 2026.

It isn’t every day you see a reliever have a five-pitch mix, but that is what Causey showed in this year’s Arizona Fall League. His changeup and sinker accounted for 70.1% of his pitches thrown, with his curveball coming in third-most used and an obscene 62.5% whiff rate for the Surprise Saguaros. Causey’s 2.2% walk rate was one of the best in the AFL, while his overall 37.8% whiff rate stood in the 89th percentile.

Causey looks to be a quick riser in the Royals system, and there’s room in Omaha for his services. The former Tennessee Volunteer doesn’t rely on overpowering stuff, but on good command and an expanded pitch arsenal to handle both right- and left-handed batters.

His eventual role in Kansas City’s bullpen feels more like Bowlan than some might think, and players like that will usually find a way to contribute quickly.