Kelvin Herrera

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #7 prospect in 2012
  Herrera ranked among the Royals' best pitching prospects after he made his U.S. debut in 2008, then lost nearly two years to elbow problems. To get him back on track, Kansas City moved him to the bullpen last year, and it proved to be a perfect fit. While climbing from high Class A to the majors, he threw more innings (70) than he did in 2009-10 as a starter (46). In a system with plenty of intriguing arms, Herrera has the best pure stuff. He has been clocked as high as 102 mph, consistently touches 100 and sits at 95-98 mph with his overpowering fastball. He backs up his heat with a solid curveball and even flashes a plus changeup with late tumbling action, though he doesn't use the changeup as much in a relief role. Herrera's delivery never will be particularly clean, but he has smoothed out the jarring motion he used in past years. While his mechanics don't prevent him from throwing strikes, they do lead to concerns about his long-term health. Herrera followed a two-inning big league cameo with a dominating stint this winter in the Dominican League. He's ready for a set-up role in Kansas City and could be Joakim Soria's eventual successor at closer if he stays healthy.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #30 prospect in 2011
  Herrera once ranked among the Royals' best pitching prospects, but he has made just nine starts in the last two years with repeated elbow problems that haven't required surgery. His elbow issues may be related to changes in his mechanics. He had been putting stress on his arm by landing on his heel, and Kansas City tried to get him to land on the ball of his foot. He overcompensated and shortened his stride, which still resulted in a jarring delivery. Herrera did return during instructional league last fall, showing the same stuff he had before his elbow started bothering him. He throws a low-90s fastball and touches 95. His best secondary pitch is a potential plus changeup, and he also throws a fringe-average slurve. Herrera's small frame leads to further questions about his durability, which could have him destined for the bullpen, where his fastball could play up even more. His immediate goal is to stay healthy in 2011, when he could return to low Class A for the fourth straight season.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #18 prospect in 2010
  Poised for a breakout year in 2009, Herrera instead missed all but one start with a strained elbow ligament. He didn't require surgery, but his rehab stretched into August, at which point the Royals decided to shut him down for the season. He threw in the Dominican during the fall and is expected to be ready for spring training. The elbow injury stemmed from a change in his delivery. Herrera had been landing on his heel, and Kansas City wanted him to land on the ball of his foot. He overcompensated and shortened his stride to land on his toe, which produced the same jarring effect the Royals were trying to eliminate. They'll be patient with him because his stuff ranks with the best in the system. He is 5-foot-10 but showed a 91-92 mph fastball that touched 95 before the injury, with excellent armside run. He also throws a slurve and an advanced changeup for his age. His overall command is excellent for a teenager. He likely will start the season in low Class A, but if Herrera can stay healthy, it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn a quick promotion to Wilmington.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #12 prospect in 2009
  When Danny Duffy and Matt Mitchell were shut down at Burlington in August, the Royals needed to find someone to step right into the Midwest League playoff race. Herrera proved up to the challenge, going 2-0, 2.13 in three outings and turning in a quality start in his lone postseason outing. He has yet to find a challenge in pro ball, as he dominated the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2007 before blowing away the Rookie-level Appalachian League in 2008. There are few pitchers in the system with a higher ceiling than Herrera. Though he's just 5-foot-10, he has quality stuff, commands his fastball to both sides of the plate and shows an advanced feel for pitching. As an 18-year-old last season, he was sitting at 91-92 mph and touching 95. He's especially tough on righthanders because his fastball rides in on their hands and his slurvy curveball has some bite. He also throws a solid changeup and has precocious command of both of his offspeed pitches. He also has made a quick adjustment to life in the United States. Herrera will return to low Class A to start the season, but he may force Kansas City to give him an early promotion.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Texas League #16 prospect in 2011
  Elbow injuries hampered Herrera early in his career, preventing him from breaking through in low Class A after spending parts of three seasons there. The Royals finally gave up on trying to use him as a starter this season, and he rocketed all the way from high Class A all the way to the big leagues, making his longest stop at Northwest Arkansas. Herrera is undersized but has legitimate closer stuff, with a fastball that touches 99 mph and sits at 94-96. Yet some scouts think his changeup is actually a better pitch, with late tumbling action, and say Herrera commands it better than his fastball. The contrast in velocity, with his changeup arriving at 79-83, can baffle hitters. "When they hit him, they hit the fastball," an American League scout said. "But that changeup, forget it." Herrera has a curveball that's average at best, but he doesn't need it as much in a relief role. He never has had a problem throwing strikes.
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  Ranked American League #10 prospect in 2008
  Though he stands just 5-foot-10, Herrera looks much bigger because of the plane he creates on his pitches. His sinking, boring fastball sits at 89-91 mph and runs to 94 mph, leading to awkward swings, especially by righthanders. Herrera's command and feel for the pitch was so advanced, and his maturity so pronounced, that the Royals pushed him to low Class A in mid-August. When it's on, Herrera's slurvy breaking ball can be an above-average pitch. He shows plus spin on the pitch at times, and it's especially effective when he's working ahead of batters and controlling both sides of the plate with his fastball.

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Herrera ranked among the Royals' best pitching prospects after he made his U.S. debut in 2008, then lost nearly two years to elbow problems. To get him back on track, Kansas City moved Herrera to the bullpen last year, and he threw more innings (70) than he did in as a starter (46) in 2009-10. Scouting Report: Herrera has the best pure stuff in a system brimming with intriguing arms. Clocked as high as 102 mph, he consistently touches 100 and sits at 95-98 with an overpowering fastball. He backs up his heat with a solid curveball and even flashes a plus changeup with late tumbling action, though he doesn't use the changeup much in relief. Herrera's delivery never will be particularly clean, but he has smoothed out the jarring motion he used in past years. While his mechanics don't prevent him from throwing strikes, they do lead to concerns about his long-term health. The Future: Herrera followed a two-inning big league cameo with a dominating stint in the Dominican League last fall. He's ready for a set-up role in Kansas City and could be Joakim Soria's eventual successor at closer if he stays healthy.