This Royals prospect was under the radar. Now he has a leading role in KC bullpen
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- Steven Cruz earned a high-leverage bullpen role during a breakout 2025 season.
- Steven Cruz cut walk rates, improved pitch command and posted a 1.86 ERA in 29 innings.
- Royals coaches credit Steven Cruz’s growth, fastball velocity and late-game reliability.
Steven Cruz carried a special cake into the Kansas City Royals’ clubhouse. It was June 15 and the 6-foot-7 reliever had reason to celebrate.
It was his birthday.
Cruz turned 26 and spent the day in the major leagues — another milestone in the pitcher’s breakout 2025 season. He celebrated with teammates while enjoying a homemade tres leches cake — made by Royals catcher Freddy Fermin’s wife — alongside family and friends in attendance.
“I’m feeling really well,” Cruz said. “I want to stay here for a long time.”
It’s a great privilege to play in the big leagues. Many players spend years awaiting their opportunity to suit up with a Major League Baseball organization. Not all get the chance.
For those who do, it usually it starts with a singular journey.
Cruz’s story began in the Dominican Republic. He grew up playing baseball and eventually signed as an international free agent with the Minnesota Twins. That was 2017. His signing scout, Fred Guerrero, formerly worked with the Twins and is now in the Royals organization.
The Twins noticed Cruz’s hard-throwing ability right away. He had an electric fastball that could touch 98-100 mph on occasion. His projectable traits included a slider and an in-progress cutter.
However, Cruz was viewed as a developmental prospect. He needed time to grow into his frame and become more consistent. As a result, he began his professional career with the Twins’ team in the Dominican Summer League (DOSL).
Cruz had a 3.68 ERA in 16 DOSL appearances. He registered 26 strikeouts and 14 walks in 29 1/3 innings. The Twins moved him through their minor-league system but there were concerns about a high walk rate.
In 2022, Cruz reached Double-A but still had lingering command issues. He finished that season with a 5.14 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 35 walks in 56 innings.
The Twins ultimately traded Cruz and fellow reliever Evan Sisk to the Royals in the 2023 offseason. In return, KC sent veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor to Minnesota.
All of a sudden, Cruz had a fresh start.
The Royals were rebuilding with first-year manager Matt Quatraro. Newly hired assistants Brian Sweeney and Zach Bove were leading the KC pitching staff. Cruz was viewed in high regard but the determination was made that he still needed more refinement.
“He’s turned from a fabulous arm, big arm-strength guy and turned into a guy that is throwing strikes,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said.
Cruz leaned into the Royals’ analytical philosophy. He improved his posture on the mound and worked on his secondary pitches in the offseason.
“It was to throw more cutters and fastballs up,” Cruz said of his change in approach. “Try to throw a really good slider, too.”
Cruz made his big-league debut in 2023 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He impressed during a short stint in the majors but was blocked from a longer stay by the depth in the Royals’ bullpen.
He made 15 relief appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. And 12 of those relief outings were scoreless.
He resolved to bide his time in the minors, but his hunger for success only increased.
“I think they want to put me in whatever situation that they want,” he said. “And I can do the best that I can.”
The Royals noticed a difference in spring training this year. Cruz beamed with confidence and was throwing with renewed purpose. He allowed just two runs during Cactus League play and cut down his walk rate.
“The growth since day one — when we saw him a couple of years ago — to what he is doing now (is great),” Quatraro said. “The confidence, the pitch characteristics, being able to get righties and lefties out and throwing a lot of strikes is phenomenal.”
Still, Cruz needed an opportunity.
It arrived on April 11, when the Royals placed top reliever Hunter Harvey on the 15-day injured list. Cruz was called up from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move.
“Cruz got up here and he has pitched in some big spots and some high-leverage spots for us,” Royals bullpen coach Mitch Stetter said. “And he has done a great job filling up the (strike) zone and getting outs.”
Cruz has a 1.86 ERA in 30 innings this season. He ranks among the top MLB relievers in expected batting average (.197 xBA) and fastball velocity (98.2 mph), per Baseball Savant.
Opponents have a 28.1% whiff rate against his fastball. And he has stranded runners at a robust rate of 82.6%, per Fangraphs.
“He has done a great job,” fellow KC reliever Lucas Erceg said. “He’s asked plenty of questions and kept it loose in the bullpen when it’s not time to pitch.
“He doesn’t let the moment get too big. I think his maturity has grown over the past two or three months. And it’s really fun to watch because, obviously, he is disgusting right?”
High praise from a fellow relief pitcher, and true. The Royals have utilized Cruz in late-game situations and he has registered 10 strikeouts in the seventh inning. He has limited opponents to a paltry .188 batting average.
“I have a really good focus in those situations,” Cruz said. “Every time I go to the mound, I think it’s 0-0 on the scoreboard and attack the hitters.”
Cruz has done just that. And in so doing, he has become a trusted relief option who continues to elevate his repertoire with each appearance.
“We’ve been through this before with other pitchers,” Picollo said, “where they show you those glimpses. I think the positive thing is Steven has done it all year.”
The Royals are betting Cruz’s future remains bright.
“He has come a long way and we should be proud of him,” Quatraro said. “And he should be proud of himself for what he has done.”
This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "This Royals prospect was under the radar. Now he has a leading role in KC bullpen."
