Royals’ bullpen has been given major second-half boost from secret weapon

As the Kansas City Royals continue battling to get back into the playoff race, there have been several heroes and secret weapons along the way. None has arguably stood out as much as John Schreiber.

One of the more unsung relief pitchers on the staff, he’s had a very solid 2025 overall. Still, he’s been especially effective in the second half of the season, when things have ramped up a bit in the Wildcard race.

Schreiber has been an effective weapon since joining Kansas City, logging a 3.66 ERA in 59 appearances with two saves in 2024. One of the things that makes him so effective is that he’s available in a wide variety of uses, such as Tuesday’s big win over the Texas Rangers, where he notched his first save of 2025 in a 5-2 victory that expanded his club’s wild card standings lead over the AL West squad.

Kansas City Royals bullpen stars like John Schreiber stepping up at the right time

While his 2024 campaign for the Royals was effective, Schreiber has stepped it up a notch this year, posting a 3.24 ERA in 57 outings already, demonstrating that he can be quite the workhorse for the team, making a push for the playoffs.

The reliever has also shown an ability to right the ship, just when fans might have worried he was starting to fade down the stretch. On August 5, Schreiber had his worst outing of the season, allowing 3 runs in just 0.2 innings pitched against the Red Sox.

However, since that appearance, he’s made 6 outings where he’s pitched a total of 5 innings and not only hasn’t he allowed a run, but he’s allowed just one baserunner, which was a walk.

Now just two games out of the final Wild Card spot, the Kansas City Royals look like they could be real players for the postseason. If they get there, it’s going to be thanks in large part to versatile arms like Schreiber. Guys who might not get a ton of headlines, but just go out there over and over and do their jobs.