The Kansas City Royals are one of MLB's most disappointing teams thus far, as their record does not match their talent level. However, reliever Nick Mears has pulled his weight.

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA over 13 outings entering Saturday's game against the Seattle Mariners, making him one of the Royals' best pitchers thus far. He hasn't pitched more than one inning in any of his appearances, but he also has allowed a run in just two of them.

Kansas City acquired Mears along with outfielder Isaac Collins from the Milwaukee Brewers for fellow reliever Angel Zerpa this past offseason. The latter player has a better track record than Mears, but this season has shown why the club made the swap thus far.

Mears is 9-10 with a 4.46 ERA over 182 career outings, while Zerpa is 8-12 with a 4.13 ERA over 160 games (eight starts). That includes this season, in which Zerpa is 0-2 with a 6.39 ERA over 12 appearances. The left-hander is also on the 15-day injured list with left forearm tightness, per MLB.com.

However, the Royals had foresight. Zerpa was 5-2 with a 4.18 ERA across 69 games (two starts) last season, while Mears went 5-3 with a 3.49 ERA across 63 games. The club bet on Mears continuing that form long-term while also landing Collins, who slashed .263/.386/.411 with nine homers, 54 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases over 130 games as a rookie in 2025.

It's too early to make a final assessment of the trade, but Kansas City couldn't have asked for a better start to the campaign from Mears. 

While Mears is off to a hot start, the opposite is true for Collins. The 28-year-old is slashing .217/.330/.313 with two homers and nine RBIs over 27 games.

Even with Collins' early struggles, the trade makes sense on paper for Kansas City. The club got a starting left fielder in his second season and a reliever under team control through 2027 for another reliever under team control through 2028, and the player it gave up is not a star.

At the same time, Collins is partially why the Royals are last place in the AL Central. Getting a reliable reliever is always helpful, but everyday players have a larger impact on the team's record. If Collins doesn't improve, the trade won't be a complete victory for Kansas City.

The Royals' matchup with the Mariners starts at 9:40 p.m. ET on Saturday. Right-handed pitcher Seth Lugo will start for Kansas City against Seattle right-hander Emerson Hancock.