Royals Day 1 Draft Picks

The first three rounds of the 2025 MLB draft wrapped up last night, and the Royals added 5 players to their organization in the first 100 picks. Let’s take a look at these new additions…

Pick #23 Sean Gamble INF/OF (IMG Academy, FL)

This was a little bit out of the blue as I did not see Gamble associated with the Royals at #23 anywhere before the draft. Gamble is a perfect illustration how knowledgeable people can disagree wildly about a prospect. Last night I saw Gamble’s arm strength described as “elite”, and I also read that he can’t play anywhere on the infield other than 2B because of a weak throwing arm.

Gamble is a 19 year old left-handed hitter, he’s listed at 6-1 and 188 lbs. Royals draft guru Brian Bridges called him a “very good second baseman with as much range as anyone I’ve seen on the infield”. That said, most observers expect Gamble to develop as a center fielder in the Royals system. Even though he went to high school in Florida, he’s a Des Moines, IA native and attended a pre-draft workout at the K.

Pick 28 Josh Hammond 3B (Wesleyan Christian HS, NC)

Hammond is an 18 year old right-handed batter listed at 6-1 and 210 lbs. While opinions on the pick of Gamble were mixed, everyone seemed to love the Royals taking Hammond here. A 2-way player in high school, MLB ranked him as the #26 draft prospect (Gamble was #27). Most think he will stick at third base for his pro career.

Pick 61 Michael Lombardi RHP (Tulane University)

After taking prep bats with their first two selections, the Royals turned to a college arm at pick 61. Another 2-way player, Lombardi was Tulane’s closer and also played CF and 1B. Look for the Royals to try and transition him to a starting role. There was a lot of excitement about this pick from guys who know a lot more than I do about the draft…

Pick 71 Justin Lamkin LHP (Texas A&M)

Another college arm, Lamkin has good size at 6-4 and 210 lbs and a quality fastball. He was MLB’s #111 prospect going into the draft.

Pick 97 Cameron Millar RHP (Alhambra HS, CA)

The first prep arm taken in the 2025 draft by the Royals is the 6-2, 200 lb Millar, a University of Arizona commit. He’s already got a mid-90s fastball at just 18 years old. Like most young pitchers his command needs some work, but assuming the Royals can steer him away from Arizona he will be a guy to watch.

So the Royals ended up with 2 prep bats, 2 college arms, and 1 prep arm in the first day of the MLB draft. That’s a haul that met with approval from most corners…

Although it will be some time before we see any of these guys in Kansas City, it’s always fun to have some new names to follow as they move up the ranks in the organization.

ROSTER SHENANIGANS

The news isn’t all great for Royals fans however. This morning the team announced that starter Michael Lorenzen was placed in the 15 day injured list with a left oblique strain. The move is retroactive to July 11. Remember that Lorenzen was scratched from his last start before the break due to what the team called an “illness”. No word yet on who will take Lorenzen’s spot on the active roster.

UP NEXT

I have less than zero interest in tonight’s HR Derby unless you can promise me that whoever pitches to Jazz Chisholm is going to throw at him. The All-Star Game Tuesday night is a must watch of course. Bobby Witt, Jr., Kris Bubic, Carlos Estevez, and Maikel Garcia will be representing KC at the Mid-Summer Classic in Atlanta.

Later this week on Diamond Chronicles we’ll take a look at the first half, grade every player, and peek in my pre-season 2025 hot takes. Thanks for reading DC over the past 3 1/2 seasons, we are closing on on 250 posts! Subscribe, share, and comment of course!