Veteran presence: Royals' trio providing stability as youth finds footing

KANSAS CITY -- When a team finishes a rebuild, you'll find any number of youngsters who came through the system and are ready to win. But look a little deeper at the roster, and you'll find plenty of players who have been there, and done that -- and they're just as essential as the kids.

Salvador Perez has embraced helping his younger teammates, giving them advice on the energy and environment of postseason baseball. And adding Yuli Gurriel and Tommy Pham’s extensive playoff experience to Perez’s notable membership Kansas City’s 2014 and ‘15 clubs, which played deep into October, has created a foundation to keep the young stars calm and focused on one game at a time.

“I think it helps a little bit to get some good at-bats from the veteran guys that have been in the postseason before,” Perez said. “Anything that I can get from a veteran guy to help, I think it's good. But I think it's good. Anything to help.”

Many of the young players, including shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and starter Cole Ragans, have had conversations with Perez about the postseason and what to expect. Gurriel and Pham have also been active in giving their teammates advice from their perspectives.

“I’ve talked with a lot of them because the regular season is so different from the playoffs,” Gurriel said in Spanish. “They know there are a lot more expectations, more pressure. What I try to show them is that they should just have fun and not add too much pressure so that things will turn out well.”

• Yankees-Royals AL Division Series Game 3 FAQ

The young players watched the veterans putting everything they’ve said into practice in Monday night’s 4-2 win over the Yankees to tie the American League Division Series at one game each.

Just consider their resumes: Perez, of course, is forever etched in history as a main contributor to the team’s 2015 World Series run. Guirrel won two World Series with the Astros (2017, 2022), while Pham has appeared in five postseasons with five separate teams.

It’s no surprise they were right in the middle of the Royals’ fourth-inning rally that gave them the Game 2 win.

“When you go out there and do it after you speak, it just makes everyone else just kind of follow suit,” Pham said. “And I believe so. It's not that easy. It's easier said than done, trust me. But it's a beautiful feeling when you can do it.”

“I knew Yuli from watching him on the other side of the field and always respected him as a hitter,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He was an incredibly tough out. We got him to a point where he hadn't played for a couple of weeks. We didn't know what to expect, other than the fact that everything we had heard about him as a person and as a teammate was off the charts -- as he's worked himself back into better health with his hamstring. His at-bats have been phenomenal, and what it's done for us is give a really good bat to put behind Salvy.”

And on Pham: “Tommy, I knew for sure was going to love it here. With his competitiveness, the fact that we were squarely in a playoff race, and that he was going to get consistent at-bats, I did not doubt that guys were going to see the kind of competitor he [is] and the worker [he is] and that he was going to fit right in.”

While the younger bats work on getting heated up again, they can rest assured that the veterans will be right there to support them because it’s something that they’ve gone through before.

“Once we all start clicking, this is gonna be fun,” Pham said after the game on Monday. “But no, there's gonna be times where the team's gonna need us veterans to pick up the team. Tonight was just one of those times.”

Lugo prepares for Game 3; Wacha announced as Game 4 starter
Seth Lugo will be starting Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees on Wednesday, the first postseason game in Kansas City since 2015. Michael Wacha gets the ball for Game 4.

“It's been great,” Lugo said. “[The fans] bring a lot of energy. I'm excited to see a full house tomorrow. I'm excited to see how loud it's going to get. They've been behind us all year, and we couldn't be where we're at without them.”

Lugo last faced the Yankees on Sept. 10, when he pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing just three hits. He said the goal is on Wednesday is to focus on the game and to execute pitches just like he did his last time out against New York.

Lugo made his postseason return on Oct. 2 in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Orioles. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed one run off of five hits.