Royals round out Day 1 of MLB Draft with trio of high-upside pitching prospects
The Kansas City Royals were active during the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft on Sunday night.
The Royals concluded Day 1 with five picks between Rounds 1-3. The top selections included No. 23 and No. 28, the latter of which was the Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) pick.
KC first drafted outfielder Sean Gamble out of IMG Academy. Gamble, who is a Des Moines, Iowa native, projects to be a solid left-handed contact hitter at the next level. There is also room for him to add power to his 6-foot-1 frame.
The Royals added another prep prospect with their PPI selection. KC chose infielder Josh Hammond out of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina.
Hammond pitched for USA Baseball’s U18 team but will be a position player for the Royals. The club drafted him as a shortstop and he hit .471 with six home runs, 28 RBIs and 40 hits in 29 games.
“Today was a great day for us,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We got two high-ceiling high school bats. We got two college left-handed pitchers that are very accomplished and then finished off the day with another high-ceiling high school pitcher.”
Here is a look at the remainder of the Royals’ Day 1 picks:
RHP Michael Lombardi | Tulane | Pick: No. 61 (Round 2)
The Royals added a high-upside college arm in the second round. Lombardi posted a 2.14 ERA in 23 games as a top reliever for the Tulane Green Wave. Additionally, he recorded 73 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.
His fastball reached 93-95 mph and he also possesses a curveball and changeup in his pitching repertoire.
Lombardi, 21, also played multiple spots as a position player.
The Royals will give Lombardi a chance to become a starting pitcher. He drew a lot of praise from Royals scouting director Brian Bridges as he met with the organization at the MLB Draft Combine.
“We met with him at the combine and all he talked about was putting the glove down and stretching out and becoming a starting pitcher in the major leagues. So very impressive young man and, you know, we are very fortunate enough to get him.”
Bridges felt Lombardi was going to be selected in the second round. There was a consensus from the Royals scouting department to go ahead and pick him at No. 61 overall.
“Our room loved him and there was a lot of love in there for him,” Bridges said. “And yeah, he’s going to be a starter.”
LHP Justin Lamkin | Texas A&M | Pick: No. 71 (Competitive Balance Round B)
There is a lot to like about Lamkin’s projection. He went 5-7 with a 3.42 ERA in 15 starts while generating solid control in the strike zone. And his pitching repertoire includes a fastball, slider and changeup.
Lamkin, 21, posted 98 strikeouts and just 19 walks in 84 ⅓ innings. Opponents hit .235 against him and he struck out 15 batters against Georgia this season.
In his career, Lamkin registered 209 strikeouts and 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He made a big leap from his sophomore to junior seasons with the Aggies.
“I’ve seen him a couple of times, so the first time I saw him he just was on cruise control,” Bridges said. “... He pitched inside more, which set up the changeup away. Where he would always kind of be away, away, he really attacked the inner third of the plate and he has command.”
RHP Cameron Millar | Alhambra HS (Martinez, California) | Pick: No. 97 (Round 3)
Millar, 18, has good size at 6-foot-2 and he has a projectable fastball plus changeup mix.
The Royals will take a chance on the Arizona commitment. In fact, they are comfortable with taking a slight risk in allocating funds to secure him to a professional contract.
Here’s why: Millar can flat-out pitch.
This season, he posted a 7-1 record with a 0.11 ERA in 64 innings pitched. He allowed just one earned run and struck out 117 batters on the year. His numbers were staggering and the Royals fell in love with his projection.
“He’s got a swagger about him and not in a bad way,” Bridges said. “Just looks like he is already on TV. And the way he competed and went after hitters, you don’t see young prep pitchers anymore with that type of mentality on the mound. So he is definitely one that gets after it. We are very, very, very happy he is a Royal.”
This story was originally published July 13, 2025 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Royals round out Day 1 of MLB Draft with trio of high-upside pitching prospects."
