Stuff for days with a lot of projectability
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.
Lombardi is known for his big mid-90s fastball with great carry through the zone as well as a strong changeup and curveball. His three-pitch mix is impressive, and he can land all three for strikes with consistency. The big thing for him will be adding pitches that can break laterally with success, something the Royals’ pitching staff has seen a lot of success with recently.
Lombardi kills spin well with his changeup that has good shape and some lateral fade, but he needs a bit of work to remain as a starter. He has a massive curveball that is a true plus-plus pitch with absurd break through the zone. Hitters struggle to pick it up, and if he can’t build the changeup or develop another offering, he could move to the pen with the fastball-curveball combo.
The Royals’ pitching staff has found success adding pitches effectively for pitchers like Lombardi, and if they view him as a starter, they will need to do so. They will want to see him add a slider or a cutter to keep hitters away from the fastball and keep them looking across the plate rather than just up and down. He will need to build the feel for his changeup as well if he wants to remain in the rotation. He could build some velocity as he is only 201 on a 6’3 frame with some clear room to build muscle if he wants to add some power.
Lombardi reminds me of Kris Bubic to an extent, with his hammer curve and solid fastball coming out of college. Bubic had a similar frame but a softer fastball and needed to add power. But the Royals were able to get him to develop a sweeper and slider that became very effective offerings for him in the rotation. Lombardi is on the opposite side of the mound as a RHP, but could build a sweeper or slider with his ability to spin the ball like his curveball.