Ryan Bergert

A sixth-round pick by the Padres in 2021, Bergert debuted out of the San Diego bullpen in late April of 2025 before later transitioning to the starting rotation. The Royals acquired him at the trade deadline and Bergert went on a brilliant run upon arrival to Kansas City, posting a 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB over his first 33.1 innings spanning six starts for his new team. He was then rocked for 11 runs over his subsequent two outings and ended the season on the injured list with an elbow strain, though the right-hander was cleared to resume a throwing program in November and is expected to enter 2026 without limitations. While he doesn't light up the radar gun, Bergert can get a respectable number of whiffs with his slider, sweeper and changeup. The underlying numbers say his success last season involved some smoke and mirrors, but the 25-year-old presumably showed enough to be part of the rotation competition in spring training. Read Past Outlooks