If you caught some of the MLB Wild Card playoff games this week, there’s a good chance you saw a former Royals player.
Whether it’s Freddy Fermin and Ryan O’Hearn with the Padres, Tim Hill with the Yankees or Nate Eaton with the Red Sox, there are ex-Royals scattered throughout the postseason.
In a weird quirk, there are five members of the Royals’ 2021 pitching staff who made the playoffs this season. That 2021 season wasn’t particularly great as the Royals had a 74-88 record and finished fourth in the American League Central, 19 games behind the White Sox.
The Royals’ pitching staff had a 4.64 ERA that season, which was 19th in Major League Baseball. But five of those pitchers from that staff made the postseason this fall. Here is a closer look.
Brad Keller
I talked with Keller this summer when the Royals played the Cubs at Wrigley Field. After being hampered by injuries late in his time with the Royals, Keller is healthy and happy to be part of Chicago’s bullpen.
Keller was 4-2 with three saves and a 2.07 ERA in 68 games with the Cubs this summer. He closed out Chicago’s 3-1 win over the Padres on Tuesday.
In 2021, Keller was 8-12 with a 5.39 ERA for the Royals.
Jakob Junis
Junis came on in relief for the Guardians in Game 2 of their series against the Tigers. Junis walked one in two-thirds of an inning in his first playoff appearances.
During the 2025 season, Junis pitched in 57 games with a 2.97 ERA and a 4-1 record.
Junis pitched in 16 games for the Royals in 2021 and had a 5.26 ERA.
Scott Barlow
Although the Reds were swept by the Dodgers, Barlow was sensational in Game 1. Barlow came on in relief of Hunter Greene and struck out four in 1 2/3 innings.
Barlow, who led the 2021 Royals with 16 saves and 91 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings, had a solid season with Cincinnati. He appeared in 75 games and struck out 75 in 68 1/3 innings. Barlow had a 4.21 ERA for the Reds.
Brady Singer
Barlow’s teammate, Brady Singer, didn’t pitch in the series for the Reds. But he led Cincinnati with 32 starts this season following a trade from the Royals last offseason.
Singer struck out 163 in 169 2/3 innings, and both of those were the most for the Reds this season. He had a 4.03 ERA.
In 2021, Singer made 27 starts and had a 4.91 ERA for the Royals in his second season in the majors. In last year’s playoffs, he struck out Aaron Judge in the ALDS in his only playoff appearance for the Royals.
Gabe Speier
The Mariners don’t know who they’ll face in the ALDS, but Speier should be on the postseason roster.
Speier had a 2.61 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched for Seattle this season. Over the last two months of the season, Speier had a 2.86 ERA and struck out 28 with just one walk in 22 innings.
In 2021, Speier made just seven appearances for the Royals, and had a 1.17 ERA.