Lucas Erceg’s sobriety arc intersects baseball’s bright lights in Boonville, Missouri, where a field fenced by razor wire sits beside a prison. On an off day, the Royals reliever shared five years of sobriety and a willingness to help others weaving their own paths back. The piece threads his journey from a difficult upbringing to Major League success, and how recovery has sharpened his purpose beyond the mound.

Erceg’s stop at Boonville was a step in a broader program of restorative justice that pairs education and craft with reintegration goals. His tale isn’t just about pitching; it’s about accountability, vulnerability, and using sport as a conduit for meaningful change—an angle that resonates with fantasy players who favor resilience and late-blooming narratives in bullpen roles.