Ryan Bergert is with the Royals to stay. How his latest outing erased any doubt

Ryan Bergert sat at his locker, going over Sunday’s game plan against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium.

It was a moment of solitude for the 25-year-old pitcher.

Bergert has experienced a lot of change in recent weeks. The Kansas City Royals acquired him from the San Diego Padres, which initiated a cross-country move. He made his first start for KC at Fenway Park in Boston and had to adjust on the fly.

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There were new teammates to meet and the coaching staff was completely different, too. Bergert somehow had to navigate it all … as a rookie.

“Everything is new here,” Bergert said. “Just getting used to setting a new routine with a new team. Things I was used to over with the Padres and now bringing the stuff I had been doing and adding a few new things they are thinking of.”

Amidst all the chaos, Bergert doesn’t let anyone see him sweat. And that cool demeanor has translated well both inside the clubhouse and out. There is a calmness in the way Bergert carries himself and an unflappable charisma that is quickly becoming his superpower.

“I feel like I’ve always been an even keel guy,” he said. “You know, try not to make the highs too high and the lows too low. Just trying to go ahead.”

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Bergert wasn’t rattled against the White Sox on Sunday. He embraced the Kauffman Stadium crowd and put on a worthwhile performance with two runs allowed (one earned) in 5 1/3 innings. He worked around a lot of foot traffic on the basepaths while registering seven strikeouts.

He helped lead the way to another Royals victory, though he took a no-decision in KC’s 6-2 win over the White Sox at home.

Bergert earned an official spot in the starting rotation after Michael Lorenzen returned from the 15-day injured list and Bailey Falter was moved to the bullpen. Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Bergert had made the most of his opportunity.

The club was impressed with his ability to navigate tough lineups with an efficient approach.

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“He’s pitched against some good teams when he was with the Padres and we’ve thrown him right into the fire in big spots with us, as well,” Quatraro said. “The stuff you can tell when you watch, but then you watch the way hitters react to his stuff and that’s exciting.

“But also, if he doesn’t execute a pitch — he gave up the home run in Minnesota — he just refocuses and gets back after it.”

Bergert hopes to take the next step in his development and career with the Royals. The pitching staff is working with him to unlock his changeup as a primary option in his arsenal. He uses a modified kick changeup that is designed to generate more velocity as he moves toward home plate.

Bergert throws the kick change primarily to left-handed batters. It has registered a 34.8% whiff rate in a limited sample size (65 pitches). If he can further develop the kick change, there is a pathway for him to become more aggressive in the strike zone.

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Opposing teams already have trouble hitting his four-seam fastball, slider and sweeper combination. This season, he has limited opponents to a .179 batting average and a .577 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

In Sunday’s game, Bergert registered 17 swings and eight whiffs with his slider.

“It’s more him being comfortable and upping the usage of the pitch,” Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney said of Bergert’s changeup. “And it’s deciding who is the right guy to throw the changeup to with both righties and lefties.”

Bergert believes the comfort will come with time as he continues to validate the Royals’ belief in him. He was the central incoming piece — alongside young prospect Stephen Kolek — in the Freddy Fermin trade.

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His rapid ascension gives the Royals another arm under club control.

“We’re just excited to be able to gain these guys,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said after the trade deadline. “I believe it’s 14 years of control on the starting pitching side with Bergert, Kolek and (Bailey) Falter.”

As the Royals make a postseason push, Bergert will be called upon to pitch in games with critical implications. It’s a challenge he is ready to conquer in his own way — with an aura of stillness.

“I’ve kind of just been rolling doing what I’ve been doing since I was called up this year,” Bergert said. “Kind of going straight at hitters, trying not to give in at any point and make good pitches.”