The Royals need their pitchers to step up to get above .500.
The Kansas City Royals have had a disappointing start to the season, but they're still only two games out of first place in the NL Central at 19-22. If their pitching staff performs to its capability moving forward, they could move in front of the Cleveland Guardians (22-21) atop the division by Memorial Day.
One pitcher who must improve for the Royals is right-handed reliever Alex Lange. The 30-year-old is 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA over 16 appearances. That's especially problematic given that he's tied for fourth on the team in games pitched.
Lange is Kansas City's only pitcher with at least eight outings who has an ERA above 5.00. The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder has allowed a run in three of his last seven outings and in seven total.
Lange is also one of six Royals hurlers with double-digit appearances, and he's the only one with an ERA above 3.70.
Alex Lange Could Help Royals Win Close Games
Kansas City Royals pitcher Alex Lange (56). © William Purnell-Imagn ImagesLange looked like a bargain signing for Kansas City in the offseason, as he inked a one-year, $900,000 with the club. The veteran pitched just one game for the Detroit Tigers in 2025 due to his lat surgery, but he had ERAs under 4.00 in two of his previous four seasons.
Unfortunately for the Royals, Lange's tenure has not been ideal thus far. They're lucky that Lucas Erceg (3.31 ERA), John Schreiber (3.38 ERA), Nick Mears (3.07 ERA), Daniel Lynch IV (2.20 ERA), and Matt Strahm (3.68 ERA) have all been reliable, but they can't have a weak link on staff all season.
On the bright side, Lange has gotten off to a better start in May, as he has a 3.60 ERA over four outings. He last tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Tigers, allowing no hits and one walk.
Kansas City ranks 20th in baseball with a 4.27 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP as a team. The starting rotation is partially at fault too, as left-hander Cole Ragans has a 4.84 ERA in eight outings, while fellow left-hander Noah Cameron has a 5.55 ERA over seven starts.
Up next for the Royals is a road trip against the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals before returning home to host the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. Right-handed pitcher Stephen Kolek will start for Kansas City against Chicago right-hander Erick Fedde on Tuesday, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET.