Pair of final MLB mock drafts send top pitching prospect to KC Royals at 23rd

The Kansas City Royals and 29 other franchises will kick off the 2025 MLB Draft in a tumultuous pre-draft process in mere hours. There is no consensus selection at the top of this year's draft, with the Washington Nationals throwing another wrench into things by clearing their organizational leadership weeks before the amateur draft.

The Royals have quite a few chips to fall before their first of five Day 1 draft picks comes at 23rd overall. Who a team drafts is a wild mix of need, internal opinions, and who goes off the board first, so no mock draft will be a perfect process. But one name has been linked to Kansas City for much of the spring and summer, and a pair of big-name final mock drafts keeps the trend rolling on Sunday.

Is Kruz Schoolcraft to the KC Royals an inevitable outcome in the 2025 MLB Draft?

MLB Pipeline and Baseball America had their final mock drafts this week, with Kansas City's projected picks at 23rd and 28th overall. Each outlet's first mock Royals pick all had the class's top prep left-handed pitcher heading to Kansas City in Oregon native Kruz Schoolcraft.

This is hardly a new development, as Schoolcraft's talent and projected draft slot fit well with Kansas City's available selection. But to have such a consensus this late in the game, that coincidence is very hard to ignore. It also coincides with Schoolcraft's rise as one of the draft's "huge upside plays," and "one of the highest ceilings in the draft," as Baseball America and MLB Pipeline put it, respectively. The Tennessee commit came onto the draft radar as a two-way player, but his arm and tantalizing potential have him rising into the first-round picture.

The former first baseman has two plus-pitches in his fastball and slider, with an advanced changeup for the high-school ranks. There is still plenty of room for polishing and developing, but Schoolcraft's fastball already touches 97 mph from the left side and has a slider that is particularly fearsome. Pair that present stuff with his repeatable mechanics and upside coming out of high school, Schoolcraft is certainly a name to watch on Sunday for Royals fans.

Other mock drafts—like those from Just Baseball and Future Stars Series—also have Kansas City going the high school route at No. 23, though they differ on position. Names like shortstop Josh Hammond and infielder Kayson Cunningham have surfaced as well. The choice between pitching and hitting could hinge on how the board unfolds ahead of them, but Schoolcraft continues to stand out as a logical fit.

Royals scouting director Brian Bridges added some insight into how the organization might balance talent and signing strategy with its multiple early-round picks.

“Having those two picks, you’d like to get the best two players you can right there,” Bridges said. “So distributing your dollars may take away from a later pick a little bit. It’s really about how we’re going to use it."

"Are we going to wait on the best available player and then just run the board out? Or are we going to try to spread this thing out a little bit where everybody’s happy once they all come sign in Surprise, [Ariz.]? We’ve got to figure out the balance with the money,” he said.

Kansas City will also pick at 28th, 61st, 71st, and 97th overall on the draft's opening day. Kansas City does have plenty of money to work with, thanks to the 11th-largest draft pool this year. In a murky class, Kansas City’s clearly defined draft identity could be their biggest advantage.

Whether it’s Schoolcraft at 23 or another upside prep play, the Royals’ 2025 draft journey is about to begin—and the stakes are as high as ever.