The Kansas City Royals had to wait longer than usual to make their first selection in the 2025 MLB Draft—but they didn’t miss when their turn finally came at No. 23 overall. On Sunday night, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred took the podium and announced that the Royals had selected IMG Academy standout Sean Gamble to kick off their draft class.
Former Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd made an eyebrow-raising comparison after the Royals selected Sean Gamble on MLB Network's draft coverage, calling him a “more athletic Ben Zobrist.”
That’s high praise—especially for Royals fans, who still hold Zobrist in high regard after his pivotal role in the club’s 2015 World Series run.