Texas A&M Star Pitcher Selected By Kansas City Royals in 2025 MLB Draft

On Sunday, a trio of Aggies got one step closer to their dream of making it to The Show. What they have worked a majority of their lives for is finally coming into view.

Between the way this draft has been shaping up and last year’s draft, Texas A&M has become a farm for MLB talent. Last draft, they had seven players selected, including Chicago White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery. Now, the Aggies are on track to match that total.

With the 71st pick in the MLB Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin in the Competitive Balance Round B.

Who the Kansas City Royals are Getting in Justin Lamkin

As a product of Calallen High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, Lamkin’s future success was evident when he was still at the school. As a senior, he was ranked as the No. 5 left-handed pitcher in Texas and the No. 34 prospect overall in the state by Perfect Game. As a junior, Lamkin posted an 11-0 record with a 0.76 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

Once he arrived in Aggieland, Lamkin made an immediate impact as both a starting pitcher and a bullpen arm. He had ten starts on the season and had a 3-3 record with one save. Freshman Lamkin had a 5.92 ERA, allowed 48 hits, 41 runs and punched out 74 batters.

As a sophomore, Lamkin’s already impressive strikeout numbers increased to 88 punchouts. He posted a 5.21 ERA with 64 hits and 38 runs. Lamkin played a key role in the Aggies’ 2024 College World Series run, where he struck out 17 batters and allowed just three runs in 10.2 innings of work.

Lamkin’s junior campaign was by far the best of his time in College Station. He posted the lowest ERA of his college career (3.42) and allowed 74 hits, the highest of his career, but the lowest amount of runs with 37. The highlight of his collegiate career came against Georgia, where Lamkin struck out a career-high 15 batters during the only complete-game shutout of his career. Lamkin also became the 22nd member of Texas A&M’s 200-strikeout club.

Over the course of his collegiate career, Lamkin has proven that he is not afraid to live in the strike zone or give up a couple hits. Lamkin is the not the only A&M arm to wear Royal blue, as Kansas City selected Trevor Werner in 2023 and Asa Lacy in 2020. Clearly the Royals trust Fightin’ Farmers to protect the fountains.