Strong first impression proves the Royals nailed their first-round draft pick

We're now nearly two weeks from the end of the draft and the Kansas City Royals have been in the process of ensuring their draft class gets signed and insterted into the system.

Among those names is first-round selection Sean Gamble, who reportedly signed for an over slot value just shy of $4 million according to MLB Pipeline's Jim Callis.

The 23rd overall selection in this year's draft was officially introduced as a Royal with in a formal press conference, where the Des Moines native said all the right things.

Sean Gamble nails his first round press conference proving Royals made great selection

There was no question that from a baseball standpoint the Royals netted a good one in Gamble on the first night of the draft.

According to MLB Pipeline's scouting evaluation, the 19-year-old prep sensation held at least 50 grade values across the board with 55 grades on his hit, run and arm tools, making him an extremely well-rounded prospect with plenty to dream on. Not to mention he was also a Vanderbilt commit, which given the storied history of that program is a glowing endorsement in and of itself.

However, it was the comments that Gamble made during his introductory media conference that will have Royals fans buzzing for him to take the field in the organization and eventually grace the confines of Kauffman Stadium.

MLB.com's Anne Rogers reported that Gamble was in the crowd at Kauffman nine years ago as kid, taking in the Royals as a fan - a detail that made Friday seem that much more special.

"You couldn’t help but think, ‘I want to play on this field, and I want to be a part of this organization and city and fan base,’” he said.

"Stars kind of aligned for it," Gamble said. "It worked out perfectly.”

There's nothing quite like bringing in someone who's local, or in Gamble's case local by proximity. Gamble will now become yet another beloved young Royals sensation who grew up familiar with both the team and the area, joining the likes of standout rookie Noah Cameron - a St. Joseph, MO native - and Top 100 prospect Carter Jensen - a Kansas City, MO native.

Gamble did not hold back his excitement about the thought of playing with the Royals, saying it's a dream opportunity for him.

“Putting on the jersey of a team like the Royals has been my dream since I started playing baseball,” he said. "It definitely means the world."

"It’s just the beginning," Gamble said. "It’s the beginning of a new dream.”

The next step for Gamble will likely be to get his footing in Rookie ball, which will ultimately determine if he rises up the ranks somewhat in 2025 or makes his first jump to the top four levels next season.