His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Erceg's 4-seam fastball averages 97.3 mph, and has touched 100.0.
264 thrown, 29.3% of his pitches.
This is the pitch he goes to when he needs the out
With two strikes Erceg goes to the slider: 41% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.6% the rest of the time.
295 two-strike pitches in 2026.
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .331 expected average against them, against .160 on his breaking balls.
175 of his fastballs thrown.
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Erceg's changeup moves 16.9 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
122 thrown, averaging 89.6 mph.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Erceg throws a fastball 72.1% of the time, against 48.6% when he is ahead.
251 pitches behind in the count, 253 ahead.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Erceg's changeup leaves the bat at 90.2 mph, against 79.0 off his slider.
122 and 252 of them thrown.
His ball is straighter than it should be
Erceg's stuff spins at 1,986 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
314 pitches in 2026. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 499th in MLB.
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Erceg averages 92.1 mph across his arsenal, 80th percentile in the league.
314 pitches in 2026. 80th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 108th in MLB.
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Erceg lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.19 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
901 located pitches in 2026.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Erceg's 4-seam fastball carries 13.6 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
264 thrown, averaging 97.3 mph.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Erceg throws the changeup 23.9% of the time against left-handers and 1.7% against right-handers.
420 pitches to right-handers, 481 to left-handers.
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Erceg puts 40.3% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 44.1% of his pitches to left-handers.
144 pitches to right-handed hitters, 170 to left-handed hitters.
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Erceg projects a .297 average, 78th percentile.
314 pitches in 2026. 78th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 120th in MLB.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Erceg puts 58.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.5% when he is ahead.
251 located pitches behind, 253 ahead.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Erceg works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider, Sinker and Changeup. The 4-seam fastball is 29.3% of everything he throws.
901 classified pitches in 2026.
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Erceg releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 43 degrees above horizontal and 1.6 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
901 tracked release points, averaging 5.8 feet off the ground.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.5 mph separates Erceg's 4-seam fastball from his slider, 97.3 against 84.7.
264 and 252 of them respectively.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Erceg releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
822 tracked pitches in 2026.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Erceg throws a strike on the first pitch 58.1% of the time.
227 plate appearances started in 2026.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Erceg has thrown 17 cutters this season, 1.9% of his pitches, at 94.7 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
901 classified pitches in 2026.
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The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His fastball is the pitch everything else is built on
Erceg's 4-seam fastball averages 97.3 mph, and has touched 100.0.
264 thrown, 29.3% of his pitches.
There is one pitch of his that keeps getting hit
Contact off Erceg's changeup leaves the bat at 90.2 mph, against 79.0 off his slider.
122 and 252 of them thrown.
He saves one pitch for one side of the plate
Erceg throws the changeup 23.9% of the time against left-handers and 1.7% against right-handers.
420 pitches to right-handers, 481 to left-handers.
His pitches move in ways that fit together
Erceg works with 4 pitches: 4-Seam Fastball, Slider, Sinker and Changeup. The 4-seam fastball is 29.3% of everything he throws.
901 classified pitches in 2026.
The gap between his pitches is what makes them work
12.5 mph separates Erceg's 4-seam fastball from his slider, 97.3 against 84.7.
264 and 252 of them respectively.
One pitch exists only to make the hitter think
Erceg has thrown 17 cutters this season, 1.9% of his pitches, at 94.7 mph: a look rather than a weapon.
901 classified pitches in 2026.
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 Erceg goes to the slider: 41% of his two-strike pitches, against 21.6% the rest of the time.
295 two-strike pitches in 2026.
When he falls behind, hitters know exactly what is coming
Behind in the count Erceg throws a fastball 72.1% of the time, against 48.6% when he is ahead.
251 pitches behind in the count, 253 ahead.
How much of the zone he uses depends on the count
Erceg puts 58.6% of his pitches in the zone when he is behind and 39.5% when he is ahead.
251 located pitches behind, 253 ahead.
He falls behind hitters far too often
Erceg throws a strike on the first pitch 58.1% of the time.
227 plate appearances started in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One type of hitter does all the damage against him
Hitters do their damage on his fastballs: a .331 expected average against them, against .160 on his breaking balls.
175 of his fastballs thrown.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
One pitch of his runs sideways more than almost anyone's
Erceg's changeup moves 16.9 inches toward the third-base side, the biggest horizontal move in his arsenal.
122 thrown, averaging 89.6 mph.
One pitch of his moves in a way hitters rarely see
Erceg's 4-seam fastball carries 13.6 inches of ride against a spinless ball, the biggest vertical move in his arsenal.
264 thrown, averaging 97.3 mph.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
His ball is straighter than it should be
Erceg's stuff spins at 1,986 rpm, 7th percentile in the league.
314 pitches in 2026. 7th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 499th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He throws about as hard as anybody in the league
Erceg averages 92.1 mph across his arsenal, 80th percentile in the league.
314 pitches in 2026. 80th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 108th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
He works one part of the zone far more than the rest
Erceg lives at the bottom of the zone: his average pitch crosses at 2.19 feet, against a zone that runs 1.5 to 3.5.
901 located pitches in 2026.
The numbers behind these live in Matchups.
Take me there
He pitches differently depending on which hand is up
Erceg puts 40.3% of his pitches to right-handers in the zone and 44.1% of his pitches to left-handers.
144 pitches to right-handed hitters, 170 to left-handed hitters.
The numbers behind these live in Spray Chart.
Take me there
The contact he allows should not turn into many hits
The quality of contact against Erceg projects a .297 average, 78th percentile.
314 pitches in 2026. 78th percentile among qualified pitchers in 2026, 120th in MLB.
The numbers behind these live in Pitch Data.
Take me there
The angle he throws from is unusual, and hitters notice
Erceg releases the ball from a low three-quarters slot, about 43 degrees above horizontal and 1.6 feet to the third-base side of the rubber.
901 tracked release points, averaging 5.8 feet off the ground.
He gets so far down the mound the ball arrives early
Erceg releases the ball 6.6 feet down the mound, so the ball arrives sooner than the radar gun suggests.
822 tracked pitches in 2026.
Royals