Royals May Have Found Another Future Rotation Piece in Prospect Justin Lamkin

Kansas City may have found a new piece for its rotation

Apr 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals ball bag sits on the field prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

As the Arizona Fall League continues, so do the standout performances from some of the Kansas City Royals’ top prospects. Several Royals prospects have showcased their skills, including both position players and pitchers.

On the mound, Royals No. 8 prospect Justin Lamkin has found success recently. During the third week in Surprise, Lamkin delivered a dominant performance, tossing 4 1/3 perfect innings. He retired all 13 batters he faced while recording four strikeouts. Of his 52 pitches, 40 were strikes.

Lamkin’s performance earned him Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Week honors, adding another Kansas City prospect to the list of Royals players making an impact this fall.

Drafted in 2025, Lamkin did not disappoint in his first professional season. The southpaw began the 2026 season with Kansas City’s High-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits, where he posted an impressive 1.27 ERA across 28 1/3 innings with 38 strikeouts.

That performance earned Lamkin a promotion to Double-A, where he joined the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He logged 11 1/3 innings with the Naturals, adding 15 strikeouts before getting his season cut short by a left shoulder injury. Lamkin finished his first professional season with a 2.04 ERA across 39 2/3 innings and 53 strikeouts.

Given the current state of the Royals’ pitching staff, prospects like Lamkin continuing to thrive offers optimism for the future of the rotation. The 6-foot-4 left-hander could make an impact in the majors sooner rather than later, as MLB Pipeline projects his arrival for 2027.

In the meantime, Lamkin will look to build on his strong performance in Arizona. The left-hander is certainly a prospect to watch as he continues his development and works toward reaching the major leagues.