This Royals draft pick hit a home run in his first at-bat. Here’s why it matters
The Kansas City Royals made a small piece of history when they selected infielder Josh Hammond with the 28th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Hammond, 18, was drafted as the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) selection that the Royals received due to Bobby Witt Jr. finishing runner-up to New York Yankees star Aaron Judge for the 2024 American League MVP Award.
It’s early, but Hammond has lived up to the billing.
On Thursday, Hammond hit a home run in his first at-bat as a member of the Royals organization. He circled the bases against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona.
Hammond is playing for the Royals in the minor-league bridge season. The league allows for high school players to get acclimated to professional baseball. Hammond is roommates with fellow Royals 2025 draft pick Sean Gamble, who was selected 23rd overall.
“I wanted to be with Kansas City from Day 1,” Hammond said recently at Kauffman Stadium. “The way they do things around here is unique. It’s unlike any other organization. Just from spending a week in Arizona, I know the way they carry themselves, the way they train their players and the way they kind of are a family. The environment around (here) is unlike any other and unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.”
The Royals have allowed Hammond to stick in a familiar spot in the infield. Hammond has experience at third base and will get time at shortstop as well. He originally came up as a pitcher but wanted to play full time at a position.
So he made the switch to focusing primarily on playing every day. It was a decision that has paid off in recent months.
“It was about a year ago,” Hammond said. “Prior to that, I was mainly a pitcher and that kind of surprised some people in this industry, you know, telling them I’m not going to be a pitcher anymore. This is what I want to do, and I want to be a hitter. I want to play every single day and be in the lineup for every single pitch. … It was tough as I went through my challenges and obstacles, but I’m glad I made that decision.”
Hammond will continue to play in the bridge season before the Royals decide to send him to an official affiliate moving forward.
“I’m confident that if I develop the way I want to develop, I should develop and have a fun couple of years,” Hammond said.
This story was originally published August 2, 2025 at 1:07 PM with the headline "This Royals draft pick hit a home run in his first at-bat. Here’s why it matters."
