Why Did Royals Draft Sean Gamble? Well-Rounded IF/OF Coming To Kansas City
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With the 23rd overall pick in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected Sean Gamble, a second baseman/outfielder from IMG Academy in Florida.
It's a great fit for the Royals organization, which needs an influx of young bats. Gamble is considered one of the most advanced hitters in the high school class, but he also brings speed, defensive versatility, and a ton of upside.
IMG Academy is a baseball hotbed, and Gamble, an Iowa native, caught the eyes of the coaching staff there at a recruiting camp. Then, he went on to become the team's superstar, earning him first-round looks.
MLB Pipeline had Gamble rated as the 27th-best prospect in this year's class. Here's what the site's scouts had to say about the 6-foot-1, 188-pound 19-year-old:
"Gamble is a left-handed hitter who has a smooth and repeatable swing with a knack for finding the barrel, controlling the zone and doing damage to all fields. As he's gaining strength, he's showing more raw power and should continue to leverage the ball and get to more extra-base authority as he moves along. He had quality at-bats all summer to raise his profile.
"An above-average runner, Gamble saw a lot of time in center field over the summer and looked good there, with some evaluators leaning towards favoring him in the outfield, where his athleticism and arm strength play well. Some don't want to give up on him on the dirt, though, thinking he could be an above-average defender at second base and/or be given a shot at shortstop. The Vanderbilt recruit plays with a little edge to his game and reminds some of the Phillies' Bryson Stott."
It's the second straight year the Royals have selected a position player in the first round under scouting director Brian Bridges, whose first draft was in 2024. Last year's first-round pick, Jac Caglianone, is already in the big leagues.
Though we don't necessarily know what position Gamble will play in Kansas City, he immediately jumps up near the top of the Royals' prospect rankings. And perhaps someday, he'll become a top-of-the-lineup bat who can help take some of the pressure off superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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