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Atlanta Braves free agent profile: Kelvin Herrera

By Benjamin Chase

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 01: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch in the seventh inning against the New York Mets during Game Five of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on November 1, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 01: Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch in the seventh inning against the New York Mets during Game Five of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on November 1, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Braves
KANSAS CITY, MO – APRIL 5: Kelvin Herrera #40 and Kris Medlen #39 of the Kansas City Royals look at their World Series Championship ring during a ceremony prior to a game against the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium on April 5, 2016 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

Postseason pitching

The Kansas City Royals built a competitive team with a new pitching staff structure, using a dominant bullpen, including a dominant back three in the bullpen. Herrera was part of that back three, starting in 2014. He was incredibly difficult to hit that whole season, posting a 1.41 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 70 relief innings, with a 26/59 BB/K ratio.

After that big season, the Royals made an improbable run all the way to the World Series before falling to the Giants. After allowing a run in the Wild Card game, Herrera went the next two series without a run allowed before giving up a pair in 6 2/3 innings pitched over the World Series. All told, he pitched in 11 games in that postseason, pitching 15 innings. He posted a 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over the time, with a 7/16 BB/K ratio.

Herrera became an All-Star in 2015, pitching 72 games and 69 2/3 innings, with a 2.71 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, posting a 26/64 BB/K ratio. He took his role in the Royals bullpen all the way to a World Series championship that postseason, pitching in 11 games, tossing 13 2/3 innings with a 0.66 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and a dominant 3/22 BB/K ratio.

Move to closer

As the Royals may have been declining, Herrera’s role with the team was increasing. In 2016, Herrera again was an All-Star, and he was in the midst of his best season, with a 2.75 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 12/86 BB/K over 72 relief innings when he was moved into the closer role. By the end of the season, he’d tallied 12 saves.

Herrera served as the Royals closer for most of the 2017 season, saving 26 games, but he struggled through injury, pitching 64 games and tossing 59 1/3 innings, with a 4.25 ERA and 1.35 WHIP as the Royals hit the doldrums.

The 2018 season saw Herrera back to his previously dominant self to open the season, with a 1.05 ERA and 0.82 WHIP before the Royals traded him to the Washington Nationals, though he struggled in his time with the Nats before his shoulder balked. Just when he returned to the mound, he tore his Lisfranc ligament in his foot, knocking him out for the rest of 2018.

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