The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Zerpa releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 19 degrees above horizontal and 2.5 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
214 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Zerpa's sinker moves 17.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
147 thrown, averaging 95.6 mph.
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Zerpa lives in the strike zone: 50.9% of his pitches are in it, 96th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 96th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 21st in MLB.
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Zerpa averages 93.5 mph across his arsenal, 93rd percentile in the league.
216 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 39th in MLB.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Zerpa goes to the 4-seam fastball: 15.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 0.7% the rest of the time.
66 two-strike pitches in 2026.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Zerpa works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Slider, Changeup and 4-Seam Fastball. The sinker is 68.1% of everything he throws.
216 classified pitches in 2026.
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Zerpa projects a .387 average, 7th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 499th in MLB.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Zerpa releases the ball 5.6 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
155 tracked pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Zerpa's sinker averages 95.6 mph, and has touched 97.0.
147 thrown, 68.1% of his pitches.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Zerpa throws a fastball 86.2% of the time, against 69.8% when he is ahead.
58 pitches behind in the count, 63 ahead.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
51.2% of the contact Zerpa gives up is hit hard, 8th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 493rd in MLB.
He leaves too much of it over the heart of the plate
24.3% of Zerpa's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, the part of the plate hitters do their damage on.
52 of 214 located pitches.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Zerpa's stuff spins at 2,113 rpm, 22nd percentile in the league.
216 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 417th in MLB.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Zerpa's slider leaves the bat at 93.3 mph, against 89.6 off his sinker.
45 and 147 of them thrown.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Zerpa puts 67.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 48.4% when he is ahead.
58 located pitches behind, 62 ahead.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.8 mph off the bat against Zerpa, 18th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 442nd in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Zerpa lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.32 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
214 located pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Zerpa's slider spins at 2,535 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
45 thrown in 2026.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Zerpa throws a strike on the first pitch 64.3% of the time.
56 plate appearances started in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Zerpa throws the slider 29.6% of the time against left-handers and 16.6% against right-handers.
145 pitches to right-handers, 71 to left-handers.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Zerpa releases the ball from a sidearm slot, about 19 degrees above horizontal and 2.5 feet to the first-base side of the rubber.
214 tracked release points, averaging 5.1 feet off the ground.
He releases the ball about where everyone else does
Zerpa releases the ball 5.6 feet down the mound, a shorter stride than most.
155 tracked pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Zerpa's sinker moves 17.2 inches toward the first-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
147 thrown, averaging 95.6 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He fills the strike zone and makes hitters beat him
Zerpa lives in the strike zone: 50.9% of his pitches are in it, 96th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 96th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 21st in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Zerpa averages 93.5 mph across his arsenal, 93rd percentile in the league.
216 pitches in 2026. 93rd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 39th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Zerpa goes to the 4-seam fastball: 15.2% of his two-strike pitches, against 0.7% the rest of the time.
66 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Zerpa throws a fastball 86.2% of the time, against 69.8% when he is ahead.
58 pitches behind in the count, 63 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Zerpa puts 67.2% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 48.4% when he is ahead.
58 located pitches behind, 62 ahead.
He gets ahead early and pitches from in front all night
Zerpa throws a strike on the first pitch 64.3% of the time.
56 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Zerpa works with 4 pitches: Sinker, Slider, Changeup and 4-Seam Fastball. The sinker is 68.1% of everything he throws.
216 classified pitches in 2026.
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Zerpa's sinker averages 95.6 mph, and has touched 97.0.
147 thrown, 68.1% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Zerpa's slider leaves the bat at 93.3 mph, against 89.6 off his sinker.
45 and 147 of them thrown.
One pitch of his spins more than almost anyone's
Zerpa's slider spins at 2,535 rpm, the highest in his arsenal.
45 thrown in 2026.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Zerpa throws the slider 29.6% of the time against left-handers and 16.6% against right-handers.
145 pitches to right-handers, 71 to left-handers.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows is the kind that finds grass
The quality of contact against Zerpa projects a .387 average, 7th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 499th in MLB.
Too much of the contact against him is loud
51.2% of the contact Zerpa gives up is hit hard, 8th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 8th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 493rd in MLB.
When hitters connect off him, they hit it hard
Hitters average 90.8 mph off the bat against Zerpa, 18th percentile.
216 pitches in 2026. 18th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 442nd in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He leaves too much of it over the heart of the plate
24.3% of Zerpa's pitches land in the middle third of the zone, the part of the plate hitters do their damage on.
52 of 214 located pitches.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Zerpa lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.32 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
214 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Zerpa's stuff spins at 2,113 rpm, 22nd percentile in the league.
216 pitches in 2026. 22nd percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 417th in MLB.
Royals
Career team 2021–2025