Have the Royals found a new closer? Why Alex Lange is making a compelling case
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- Alex Lange recorded his third save in four days and three ninth-inning strikeouts.
- In his last eight outings Lange has allowed no runs in 7⅓ innings with nine strikeouts.
- Quatraro says Lange is composed and executes pitches in high-leverage situations.
The Kansas City Royals may have found a solution to fill their closer role.
Enter Alex Lange.
The Royals right-hander is now back in a familiar role. And Lange, who is a Lee Summit native, is thriving with a new opportunity so far.
On Saturday, he proved just why he can be trusted with a late lead.
In the ninth inning, Lange worked around a leadoff double and hit by pitch to nail down his third save in four days. He recorded three strikeouts — including a pair of seven-pitch at-bats to retire Twins duo Austin Martin and Royce Lewis.
There was no margin for error. At the top of the frame, the Royals rallied to take a 3-2 lead behind All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. The club handed the keys to Lange, and he delivered once again on the road trip.
“It’s been great,” Lange said of his recent performance. “You know, I love baseball and I love being out here. I love being in this locker room, and I love being around the guys. Any opportunity I get to toe the mound and wear this uniform is pretty special.”
The Royals have struggled to solidify the back end of the bullpen. The club started with Carlos Estévez before injuries sidelined him. Then, it was Lucas Erceg’s job until he dealt with ineffectiveness.
And now, the club is considering all options. Royals manager Matt Quatraro will look to play the matchups, but Lange has done well in the spot.
In his last eight outings, Lange hasn’t allowed a run across 7 and 1/3 innings. He issued just six hits, two walks and recorded nine strikeouts during that span.
“He’s battling,” Quatraro said. “I mean, they put some traffic on and he makes pitches. I mean, he’s composed, and he’s got good stuff. … He’s done this before, so you trust that he can continue to do it. But, he’s executing some pitches in high-leverage situations.”
The Royals improved to 26-39 this season with Saturday’s victory. Lange has become a central figure in the bullpen due to his ability to throw strikes. He averaged 96.9 mph with his sinker and balanced that with a changeup, slider and cutter.
The pitching arsenal has given him confidence. Lange is looking to attack hitters and find ways to toss scoreless innings.
It’s exactly what he did against Lewis to record the final out.
“Royce is a very, very good ball player,” Lange said. “He took his option, went down there (to Triple-A St. Paul) and took care of his business. I watched him hit in the offseason. He trains really hard, he’s a really good hitter. He knows what he is doing. He’s very disciplined, so I knew I had to be around the (strike) zone. So I attacked early, got ahead, got to make some good put-away pitches. He laid off some pitches and just kept going.”
The Royals will likely stick with Lange in the closer spot. It worked well with Saturday’s game being able to feature the club’s high-leverage relievers. Daniel Lynch IV worked the sixth inning, Lucas Erceg had the seventh and Matt Strahm pitched the eighth.
Strahm got the win despite giving up a run. And the Royals’ bullpen was solid as they backed up starting pitcher Luinder Avila.
Avila allowed two hits and a run in five innings of work.
If the Royals are to climb back in the American League Central race, it will take the bullpen. The club should return some key pitchers — such as Estévez and Nick Mears soon to the mix.
And with starters Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic on the mend, it’s possible that one of the club’s surplus starters could be slotted into a relief role as well.
For now, the Royals are trying to piece their bullpen together. There’s opportunity for each pitcher, and Lange is taking advantage of his chance.
Lange once posted 26 saves with the Detroit Tigers. He could very well find similar success as the 2026 season unfolds.
“It was amazing and fun to catch,” Royals rookie catcher Carter Jensen said. “He’s a dude out there, so it was a lot of fun.”
