Royals' Competitive Balance round gem from 2025 MLB Draft is living up to hype early

The Kansas City Royals pitching prospect pipeline is noticeably stronger now than it was this time two years ago, thanks primarily to some savvy draft picks outside the first round. Youngsters Kendry Chourio and David Shields are the pitching prospects most prospect hounds already know, with high ceilings and standout performances at the lower levels of the minor leagues. But former collegiate arm Justin Lamkin is off to a strong professional start, and his latest High-A outing shows why he is a notable Royals prospect.

The Royals drafted Lamkin last year out of Texas A&M with the No. 71 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round B of the 2025 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline currently ranks him as the Royals’ 14th-best prospect. Lamkin’s pro debut has been exactly the kind of early signal the Royals would want from a polished college arm. Through his first four starts for Quad Cities, he is 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, and nine walks in 17.2 innings. He has allowed just nine hits and two earned runs so far. His April 25 start saw him fan six batters across six shutout innings, giving the River Bandits' home crowd something to cheer for.

The Royals are hoping Justin Lamkin's dominant start is no fluke.

Lamkin is missing bats right away to begin his professional career, despite not having the typical eye-popping velocity for a starter. MLB Pipeline describes his fastball as sitting around 91 to 93 mph and topping out around 95, but the pitch plays up because of his funky arm action, extension, and ability to hide the ball. That is the backbone of his profile, putting hitters on their heels and finishing them off with his slider.

Lamkin’s biggest red flag is the need to develop a third pitch, and that changeup or curveball development could be the difference between him sticking as a starter long term or shifting into a relief role early in his career.

He grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, attended Calallen High School, and was already a notable prep lefty before making it to College Station. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 5 left-handed pitcher in Texas and the No. 34 overall prospect in the state. In 2025, he made 15 starts, posted a 3.42 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, and led the Aggies with 98 strikeouts across 84.1 innings while walking only 19 batters. He also held opponents to a .235 average and logged a team-best seven quality starts.

His signature college performance came against No. 10 Georgia, when he struck out a career-high 15 batters in a complete-game shutout, allowed only three hits, did not issue a walk, and, according to Texas A&M, did not even reach a three-ball count. That outing earned him SEC Pitcher of the Week and national pitcher of the week honors from multiple outlets.

Lamkin’s early success is a reminder of what a college-tested lefty can look like when deception, slider quality, and a developing secondary mix translate quickly against pro hitters. Strong April stat lines can evaporate quickly, but hopefully Lamkin keeps the momentum going into a Double-A promotion.

For a Royals system still looking for dependable upper-level pitching depth behind its bigger-name arms, Lamkin’s first month is an encouraging reminder that polish and projection do not have to be separate things.

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