Ángel Zerpa Bio
Ángel David Zerpa is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, he previously played in MLB for the Kansas City Royals, with whom he made his big-league debut in 2021. Born in 1999, Zerpa has spent his entire professional career within the Kansas City organization before being traded to Milwaukee in December 2025.
Early Life and Background
Ángel David Zerpa was born on September 27, 1999, in Venezuela. Growing up in a country with a deep baseball tradition, he developed an early interest in the sport and worked his way through the youth ranks as a left-handed pitcher. Specific details about his hometown and family background are not widely documented in public sources.
Venezuela has produced a long list of MLB-caliber arms, and Zerpa emerged from that pipeline as a teenage prospect. His family and early coaches helped him refine his craft during his formative years, eventually positioning him for a professional contract with an MLB organization.
Path to Baseball
Zerpa signed with the Kansas City Royals as an international free agent in 2016, receiving a $100,000 signing bonus. He made his professional debut the following year, pitching for the Dominican Summer League Royals in 2017, where he went 3–4 with a 1.84 ERA and 39 strikeouts over 63⅔ innings. Those numbers offered an early indication of his strikeout ability and poise on the mound.
In 2018, he advanced to the Arizona League Royals, posting a 3–6 record with a 3.88 ERA and 34 strikeouts across 48⅔ innings. He split the 2019 campaign between the Burlington Royals and the Idaho Falls Chukars, combining for a 6–3 record, a 3.40 ERA, and 55 strikeouts over 55⅓ innings. The canceled 2020 Minor League Baseball season, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, kept him off the mound for a full year, but the Royals remained committed to his development.
Ángel Zerpa Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
Zerpa’s early professional years were spent within the Royals’ rookie and short-season affiliates. His performance in the Dominican Summer League in 2017 established him as a young arm to watch, while his time with the Arizona League Royals in 2018 provided his first taste of stateside competition.
By 2019, the Royals split him between Burlington and Idaho Falls, where he showed improved control and continued to miss bats. Across those three seasons, he demonstrated the strikeout profile and durability that would eventually earn him a place on the Royals’ 40-man roster.
Kansas City Royals Breakthrough (2020–2025)
On November 20, 2020, the Royals added Zerpa to their 40-man roster, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft. He split the 2021 minor league season between the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, and the Omaha Storm Chasers, going a combined 4–4 with a 4.58 ERA and 108 strikeouts over 88⅓ innings. On September 30, 2021, he was recalled to make his MLB debut as the starting pitcher against the Cleveland Indians.
In 2022, Zerpa appeared in three MLB games for the Royals, making two starts and going 2–1 with a 1.64 ERA and three strikeouts across 11 innings. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on August 2, 2022, with a small tear in his patellar tendon, ending his season. On March 15, 2023, he was again placed on the 60-day injured list, this time with left shoulder tendinopathy, and was activated on July 14 before being optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
Milwaukee Brewers Era (2025–Present)
On December 14, 2025, Zerpa was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Isaac Collins and pitcher Nick Mears. The move marked a fresh chapter in his career and gave him an opportunity to compete for a more permanent role in a new organization.
Driving Style and Strengths
Zerpa is a left-handed pitcher whose calling card has been his ability to miss bats, as evidenced by his high strikeout totals during his minor league tenure. His fastball-slider combination gives him a reliable foundation, and his poise on the mound has allowed him to handle both starting and relief assignments at the big-league level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Zerpa’s MLB debut on September 30, 2021, against the Cleveland Indians stands as the defining moment of his early big-league career. He also posted a standout 1.64 ERA in a small sample with the Royals in 2022, and his December 2025 trade to Milwaukee represented a significant new chapter in his professional journey.
Ángel Zerpa Career Wins
Across his time in the minor leagues and his limited MLB appearances, Zerpa has compiled wins in multiple developmental leagues. He has posted winning records with the Dominican Summer League Royals, Burlington Royals, and Idaho Falls Chukars, while earning his first two MLB wins with the Kansas City Royals in 2022.
Kansas City Royals Highlights
Zerpa went 2–1 with a 1.64 ERA in three MLB appearances for the Royals in 2022, marking his first taste of major league success. His minor league wins during that same season came with Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, where he also logged significant innings and continued to develop his craft.
Other Wins & Performances
During his early career, Zerpa recorded 12 wins across the Dominican Summer League, Arizona League, Burlington, and Idaho Falls, paired with a 2.84 combined ERA over those developmental seasons. Those performances were instrumental in earning him a spot on the Royals’ 40-man roster in 2020.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a transition year for Zerpa. After working his way back from injury in 2023, he spent time refining his role within the Royals’ system before being dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers in December 2025. The trade signaled a new opportunity for the left-hander, who will look to carve out a more consistent role with his new club.
Heading into 2025, Zerpa’s profile as a left-handed strikeout pitcher remained his most marketable trait, and the Brewers acquired him to add depth to their pitching staff. The early weeks of his Brewers tenure will be critical in determining whether he settles into a bullpen or starting role moving forward.