1 surprise and 1 disappointment so far from the Royals’ 2025 MLB Draft class

The annual MLB Draft is some amalgamation of art and science. The best organizations have found ways to inject technology and analytics into their process, often finding more consistent success, though hardly perfecting it. If the Kansas City Royals believed they had the perfect draft approach for the better part of the last decade, they would be unequivocally wrong.

Outside of nailing the Bobby Witt Jr. selection in 2019 and finding some MLB-caliber arms in 2018, the Royals lagged behind their peers in the draft room following their 2015 World Series title. But after shifting from Lonnie Goldberg to Brian Bridges leading the charge, Kansas City has shown marginal improvements. The difficulty with any progress in the drafting process is that it takes years to know how any one class truly performs for an organization.

The 2025 MLB Draft class drew middling praise after the Royals double-dipped on prep position players with their two selections in the top 30. With players like Josh Hammond, Michael Lombardi, and Aiden Jimenez, there are names worth believing in. But two stand out so far this season, one for the best of reasons and one for a sluggish start to his professional career.

First-rounder Sean Gamble's struggles at the plate are impossible to ignore

Gamble's .382 OPS through May 12 is by far the worst mark from any first-round position player in his draft class. That is a combination of woeful extra-base hit production and an inability to get on base at all, despite an 8.1% walk rate in 135 plate appearances. His .165 BABIP offers some cover, but there is not much to suggest he is simply unlucky and due for a turnaround. When a highlight play for a first-round pick involves a bunt, it tells you something about where his 2026 season stands.

Gamble is not making meaningful contact, which compounds his lack of premium power. He is not getting the ball into the outfield consistently, and his 46.8% ground ball rate is among the highest in the Carolina League. That follows pre-draft concerns about his swing-and-miss tendencies as an amateur, and those concerns have held up in professional action. There is little to like about his showing at the plate so far. Brutal, but that is the truth.

To his credit, Gamble does have tools worth acknowledging. He has covered a lot of ground in center field for the Fireflies, and his speed is translating into stolen bases. Still, that provides only limited solace. Gamble was a fringe five-tool prospect entering the draft, and he has not shown the talent that justified Kansas City taking him 23rd overall. Hopefully the game starts coming easier for the Iowa native before he turns 21 in July.

Southpaw Justin Lamkin's impressive 2026 results in early promotion to Double-A

Much of the 2025 draft class is still working through the A-levels, if they have debuted at all. But the Royals are being aggressive with left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin after a red-hot run at High-A Quad Cities, promoting him to Double-A Northwest Arkansas after just six River Bandits starts. To his credit, he looked hardly challenged by High-A competition.

It is not uncommon for collegiate draftees to open the season at High-A, which more closely mirrors their previous level of competition. Lamkin went to Quad Cities and proceeded to rack up 38 strikeouts against only 11 walks in 28.1 innings. His 1.27 ERA in that span leads all Royals farmhands, while his strikeout total ranks third in the organization. His final Quad Cities start featured six punchouts and set the table for a shutout victory.

Lamkin does not have overpowering stuff, but it was more than enough to keep High-A hitters off balance, particularly with a new-look curveball this season.

The Texas A&M product succeeds through consistent command of all his pitches and a mound presence that allows him to set the tone from the first pitch of each plate appearance. His 17.1% swinging strike rate is second-highest among qualified Midwest League pitchers and trails only the red-hot Jordan Woods among all Royals farmhands.

Lamkin has plenty of pitchability and carries the workhorse starter profile that can help a big league club in a pinch. He may never develop into a front-line starter, but he is off to a stellar professional start, and the Royals will find out soon enough how his strike-forward approach holds up against more experienced Texas League hitters.

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