KC Royals fans need to watch 2nd-round draft pick's absolute gem vs Georgia

In a busy first day of the Kansas City Royals' 2025 MLB Draft, they opened Sunday evening's festivities by selecting a pair of highly regarded prep options in 2B/OF Sean Gamble at pick No. 23 and then INF Josh Hammond at pick No. 28.

However after dipping into the collegiate ranks upon the conclusion of the first round, it was their fourth pick in Competitive Balance Round B that may have netted the Royals a gem, as they selected Texas A&M left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin at pick No. 71.

While Lamkin crafted a solid junior year with the Aggies overall in 2025, he is likely best known for the masterclass he put together against one of the best teams in the country at the time in the Georgia Bulldogs.

KC Royals 2nd-round pick spun an absolute gem vs. Georgia in May

On May 16, Texas A&M was on the road to Athens, GA to play the second game of the final regular season series before tournament play took place.

And while the 27-24 Aggies may have been the underdogs to the fourth ranked 41-13 Bulldogs at the time, that was certainly not what the scorecard indicated at Foley Field following the Friday night SEC showdown. Lamkin and the his band of Texas A&M brothers left Georgia without answers, taking them down 6-0.

Lamkin's performance was easily the highlight of this game, but I suppose anyone who strikes out 15 hitters in a game would receive that honor. Lamkin's final line was a work of art, as in the complete game shutout he accompanied his 15 strikeouts with no walks and only three hits surrendered.

To the shock of likely nobody, Lamkin would go on to take home National Pitcher of the Week honors for his remarkable efforts that weekend.

Overall his season stat line may not look nearly as dominant as his outing on May 16, it's certainly one that - while not better than some of the top Day 1 draft names like Kade Anderson (No. 3 to Seattle) or Jamie Arnold (No. 11 to the Athletics) - does hold it's own.

In 84.1 innings of work across 15 starts, the four-year junior threw to a respectable 3.95 ERA. 1.10 WHIP and 10.5 K/9.

Now that he's a member of the Royals farm system, what can Royals fans expect to see from him?

Well, according to MLB Pipeline's assessment, he holds a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s, but is best know for his slider, which graded out as a 55 value offering. Pipeline views him as having a safe floor of a projected lower-end of the rotation starter with good control but rougher mechanics.

He also managed to draw a familiar comp, albeit out of high school, in Royals current All-Star Kris Bubic. If that's the case, perhaps the Royals may have found their next underrated potential All-Star starter, like Bubic has turned out to be in 2025.