The Royals agreed to deals with first-round selections Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline. Kansas City also has deals with second-rounders Michael Lombardi and Justin Lamkin, Callis adds.
Gamble was selected with the 23rd overall pick, K.C.’s standard first-round selection. Hammond went 28th with a supplemental selection that the Royals received under the Prospect Promotion Incentive thanks to Bobby Witt Jr. finishing runner-up in last year’s AL MVP voting. Gamble’s bonus is reported as $3.9975MM, though that presumably excludes a $2500 contingency bonus that’ll get him to an even $4MM on signing. That comes in a little above the $3.85MM slot value. Hammond signed for $3.1975MM, slightly below the $3.28MM slot.
A left-handed hitter, Gamble is a Florida prep product who had been committed to Vanderbilt. Most pre-draft scouting reports pegged him as a second-round talent. MLB Pipeline did have Gamble 27th, but each of FanGraphs (60), The Athletic’s Keith Law (48), Baseball America (45) and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (35) were a little lower. Evaluators praise his athleticism and bat speed, but there’s some concern about his pure hitting ability and questions about his defensive fit. While Gamble has mostly played second base in his prep career, most reports acknowledge that he may end up in the outfield.
Hammond, who was a two-way player in high school, drew varying opinions on public scouting reports. McDaniel slotted him as high as 17th, projecting him as a third baseman with potential plus-plus power. While FanGraphs felt he’s a better pitching prospect, Hammond enters pro ball as an infielder. Most other evaluators indeed are higher on him as a position player. His bat speed and defensive ability give him significant upside, but some reports question his pitch recognition and selectivity. Hammond bypasses a commitment to Wake Forest to enter the professional ranks.