With their first pick in the second round of the 2025 draft, the Royals came away with their first pitcher in Michael Lombardi, out of Tulane. Lombardi posted a 2.41 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 21 walks in 42 innings for the Green Wave. He also hit .273 with four home runs and five steals in 139 at-bats as an infielder.
The Royals have seen a lot of success drafting college arms in the last few seasons, and they return to the well again this year. Lombardi ranked somewhat low at 39 on my pitcher rankings, but has a lot of upside that the Royals staff is more than capable of tapping into.