MLB Rumors: 5 Prospects who can help Royals in 2018

1. LHP Richard Lovelady

After being drafted in the 10th round of the 2016 draft out of Kennesaw State, Richard Lovelady immediately found success in the bullpen at the minor league level. That success hasn’t faltered at all as he’s worked his way through the farm system. Lovelady is the most experienced prospect out of the bullpen and could be a much-needed addition to an utterly unimpressive bullpen.

Through three years in the minor leagues, Lovelady has thrown for a total of 167.1 innings and has an astonishing ERA of 1.99 and WHIP of 0.96. He has relied heavily on just two pitches to get him where he’s at now — a 97 mph fastball and a slider that sits in the mid 80s. This one-two punch, in addition to his three-quarters delivery have helped him average more than one strikeout per inning pitched.

It is fairly rare for top prospect pitchers to spend the entirety of their minor league careers coming out of the bullpen. However, Lovelady perfectly fits the mold for an effective relief pitcher. He doesn’t have a lot in his arsenal, but he has two pitches that miss a lot of bats and don’t give up many hits.

Lovelady threw very well in Spring Training and was a potential candidate to make the Opening Day roster. The front office elected to send Lovelady back to Omaha, but after the start to this season, they are likely already regretting that. With his electrifying stuff, substantial bullpen experience, and ridiculously successful track record, Lovelady should definitely find his way to the big leagues soon.