Royals Projected To Acquire 6-Foot-1 Strong-Armed Third Baseman

The Kansas City Royals need offense now, and they'll need it even more in the years to come.

Bobby Witt Jr. has taken a step back after his otherworldly 2024 season, and while he's still performing at All-Star levels, he isn't single-handedly leading the team to as many wins. Number-one prospect Jac Caglianone could become Witt's sidekick in years to come, but that's no slam dunk.

It is imperative that the Royals churn out some more stars through their prospect pipeline, and the farm system beyond Caglianone is thin at every position except catcher. Getting some talented young bats in this year's Major League Baseball Draft will be crucial to this team's future.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected Wednesday that the Royals would do just that. McDaniel had the Royals selecting North Carolina high school third baseman Josh Hammond with the 23rd overall pick of his latest mock draft.

"Hammond has a number of potential landing spots starting around No. 10 and ending somewhere in the mid-20s. Given Hammond's two-way exploits, there are parallels here with Austin Riley, a player that Royals scouting director Brian Bridges drafted while with Atlanta," McDaniel wrote.

"I'd expect prep pitching and/or a prep shortstop (lots of names are mentioned, especially given Kansas City's history) at their next few picks."

Hammond grades out well in all five tools in MLB.com's pre-draft scouting report, but his arm earned the highest grade (65) on the 20-to-80 scale. He's 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, and should be able to hit for power, which is essential for a corner infielder at spacious Kauffman Stadium.

The first round of the draft takes place on Jul. 13 in Atlanta.

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