The Kansas City Royals can thank shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. for their second pick inside the top 30 of the 2025 MLB Draft. Witt’s runner-up finish in 2024 AL MVP voting earned the club a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) pick, which they used to select prep infielder Josh Hammond.
Hammond is the type of high-upside prep bat scouts highlight early—a hyper-athletic, two-way talent from Wesleyan Christian Academy whose tools are translating into real production. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Wake Forest commit is a right-handed power hitter projected to stick at third base, with enough athleticism to defend the position and a 70-grade arm that once made scouts consider his future on the mound.