Angel Zerpa, Royals Look For Spring Training Win vs. Athletics
The Kansas City Royals are off to a hot 2-0 start (with an added tie) in spring training, and they'll look to continue those good vibes on Tuesday against the 1-1 Oakland Athletics. Surprise, AZ, is the site of the afternoon matchup between two American League clubs battling it out in Cactus League action.
On Monday, the Royals poured on a whopping seven runs in the fifth inning or later en route to an 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels. Outfielder Edward Olivares continued his hot streak by going 3-for-3 in the matchup, raising his OPS to a staggering 1.857 this spring. Seuly Matias also collected a pair of RBIs on a home run in the game.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game as they look to improve their undefeated spring training record.
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: LHP Angel Zerpa
Oakland: RHP Frankie Montas
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - 3B
- Salvador Perez (R) - C
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Carlos Santana (S) - 1B
- Hunter Dozier (R) - RF
- Adalberto Mondesi (S) - SS
- Vinnie Pasquantino (L) - DH
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
Zerpa building on 2021
At the end of September last season, the Kansas City Royals allowed Zerpa to get a start. In his five innings of work, the then 21-year-old tossed five innings of two-run ball. Neither of those runs was earned, so the Venezuelan carried a 0.00 ERA on the year. Across three levels of the minor leagues last year, Zerpa's ERA was 4.58. He proved to be too much for High-A hitters, but he struggled once promoted to Double-A and Triple-A. In 13 starts with Northwest Arkansas, he allowed 30 earned runs. In one Omaha start, he allowed three runs in 1.1 innings.
Zerpa's fastball is continuously improving, and his changeup is a respectable offering that keeps hitters honest. 2022 is expected to be the year that he takes a leap forward, and the Royals would be better off if he manages to do so. With a composed demeanor and more experience under his belt to go with his decent baseline pitch-mix, Zerpa is a name to watch this spring and well into the summer.
All eyes on Witt, Pasquantino
Despite it still being very early in the spring, Witt continues to garner significant hype and wide-scale praise. The top Major League Baseball prospect is getting serious looks at third base and could break camp with the Royals if he enjoys a good spring training. The pressure is on, but it isn't anything he hasn't been able to live up to thus far. Against the Athletics, keep an eye on how Witt handles the hot corner and how comfortable he looks at the plate. Every game is a big-league audition at this point.
Another Royals prospect to follow is Pasquantino. 'Italian Breakfast' is enjoying a good spring training so far and even drew some comparisons to Anthony Rizzo during the offseason. He isn't much of a burner on the basepaths and is likely confined to either first base or designated hitter at the MLB level, but he's a mature hitter who is patient, is able to make consistent contact and also has plenty of pop in his bat. Any day that Pasquantino is in the Royals' lineup is a big one for him, as he's an underlooked player compared to peers such as Witt, Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez. He's quite talented, though, and will have a chance to show it on Tuesday.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 3:05 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM