Pearson hit the ground running after coming to Kansas City. In his first 20 appearances with the Royals, he pitched 21 innings with only 1 earned run, 20 strikeouts, and 11 baserunners allowed, good for a 0.43 ERA and a 2.62 FIP. Pearson’s emergence into the Kansas City bullpen was a much-needed spark for the bullpen that had posted a 5.30 ERA before his arrival.
Pearson slightly adjusted his pitch mix by leaning more on his fastball and sinker. In Kansas City, he increased his fastball usage from 40.5% to 48.1% and his sinker from 9.5% to 16%. To offset this adjustment, he decreased his slider usage from 36.1% to 21.6%.
Pearson was unable to maintain the near-perfect start to his Royals tenure. In September, he had a stretch of five consecutive appearances with at least one earned run, during which his Royals ERA ballooned to 4.62 and his FIP to 3.77.