{"id":663442,"date":"2026-04-04T21:25:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T21:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/663442\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T21:25:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T21:25:18","slug":"how-lucas-erceg-paul-sewald-and-jordan-romano-can-help-pick-up-saves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/663442\/","title":{"rendered":"How Lucas Erceg, Paul Sewald and Jordan Romano can help pick up saves"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\tGambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

The volatile nature of the ninth inning is the ultimate equalizer in fantasy baseball<\/a>, turning discarded middle relievers into league-winning assets overnight. If you aren\u2019t constantly monitoring the waiver wire for shifts in bullpen hierarchy, you are likely bleeding saves to your more attentive rivals. <\/p>\n

This week, the most significant tremors are coming out of Kansas City, where a changing of the guard appears not just imminent but potentially permanent. <\/p>\n

The spotlight has shifted directly onto Lucas Erceg, who has become the most urgent addition for any manager in need of late-inning stability.<\/p>\n

The opportunity for Erceg arose following the unfortunate news regarding Carlos Est\u00e9vez. The incumbent Royals closer was recently placed on the 15-day injured list with an ankle contusion after being struck by a comebacker. <\/p>\n

Though an injury is never the preferred way for a hierarchy to shift, the underlying metrics suggest that Est\u00e9vez was already skating on thin ice. More concerning than the bruised bone is a dramatic and unexplained drop in his average fastball velocity.<\/p>\n

Before the injury, Est\u00e9vez was struggling to touch the mid-90s, a sharp decline from the high-octane heat that defined his success in previous seasons. When a power pitcher loses his primary weapon, the \u201cinjured list\u201d often becomes a convenient place to hide a guy who is no longer effective. Even when Est\u00e9vez is physically cleared to return, there is a very real possibility that the Royals will stick with the hot hand, especially if Erceg continues to dominate.<\/p>\n

And Erceg has wasted no time making his case for the permanent role. Unlike Est\u00e9vez, Erceg\u2019s velocity is trending in the right direction, consistently buzzing the tower with upper-90s heat and a devastating slider that generates elite whiff rates. <\/p>\n

\"KansasLucas Erceg #60 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on March 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Through his first few appearances this season, he has looked every bit the part of a high-leverage anchor. He isn\u2019t just a temporary replacement, he is a talent upgrade. If he is still sitting on your waiver wire, he represents a rare chance to grab a potential 30-save arm for the cost of a bottom-of-the-roster bench bat.<\/p>\n

Beyond the drama in Kansas City, Arizona\u2019s Paul Sewald remains a perennial favorite for those who value consistency over raw speed. Though he doesn\u2019t blow away hitters, his unique release point and savvy pitch-sequencing continue to result in low ERAs and high save totals. If a frustrated manager in your league dropped him during a brief cold stretch or a minor injury scare, he is a priority reclaim.<\/p>\n

Learn all you need to know about MLB Betting<\/p>\n

Similarly, Jordan Romano has found a new lease on life with the Angels. Often overlooked in recent drafts due to his injury history, Romano has looked sharp in the early going, reclaiming the closer role with a veteran poise that the young Angels bullpen desperately needs.<\/p>\n

Chasing saves is always a tricky proposition each year, but it has proven to be a viable strategy. Whether you\u2019re seeking the high-upside breakout of Erceg or the proven track records of Sewald and Romano, the message is clear: The waiver wire is where championships are won.<\/p>\n

Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com<\/a>. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy<\/a>, catch him on the award-winning \u201cFantasy Alarm Radio Show\u201d on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Ch. 87) weekdays from 6-8 p.m. and dominate your leagues with the latest baseball news and advice from Fantasy Alarm<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":663443,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2290],"tags":[5,684,28,4,722,185,1272,723],"class_list":{"0":"post-663442","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-baseball","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-betting","10":"tag-fantasy-baseball","11":"tag-mlb","12":"tag-mlb-betting","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-sports-betting","15":"tag-sports-picks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116348553995915092","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663442"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663442\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/663443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}