Kansas City’s draft board keeps pointing in the same direction, and FanGraphs’ first mock draft only adds to the pattern.
Eric Longenhagen sent Jacob Lombard to the Royals with the sixth overall pick, giving Kansas City a prep infielder from Florida’s Gulliver Prep. Lombard is the younger brother of Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr., and he’s expected to come off the board well ahead of where his brother landed in 2023, when George was taken 26th overall. In the 2026 MLB Draft picture, Lombard sits firmly in the top tier - MLB Pipeline has him fifth overall.
The bat is the part that still draws the most scrutiny. Lombard’s uppercut swing can leave him chasing fastballs in the zone, which raises questions about the hit tool. Even so, Longenhagen suggested that Kansas City’s recent drafting habits could keep Lombard squarely in the mix.
"Scouting Director Brian Bridges has had an appetite for hit tool risk before (Jac Caglianone, Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond were the tops picks in his two drafts as Royals’ Director) and he was with the Giants they drafted Eldridge, Martin, and Reggie Crawford. Lombard is in that category of player. If the Royals cut a deal, the names bandied about have been two-way high school player Jared Grindlinger, top high school pitcher Gio Rojas, and USC left-hander Mason Edwards."
Eric Longenhagen, FanGraphs
That line fits with other draft chatter Kansas City has already heard. Keith Law previously connected Lombard to the Royals, saying "I've heard the Royals heaviest with Lombard and Eric Booth Jr."
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also had Lombard as Kansas City’s preference in a May mock draft, assuming he’s still there at No. 6.
The fit makes sense on paper. Bobby Witt Jr. isn’t the kind of player who should feel threatened by a draft pick, but the Royals do need more middle-infield talent in the pipeline. 2025 first-rounders Gamble and Hammond can both handle second base and shortstop, though both have spent most of their debut seasons elsewhere. Yandel Ricardo has been the main shortstop at Low-A Columbia, but he still hasn’t had the kind of breakout that pushes him into the Royals’ top five prospects.
If Lombard lands in Kansas City, he’d immediately jump into that upper group. He brings athleticism, power upside, and speed, along with the arm to stay at shortstop or slide to second base down the line. At No. 6, he looks like the kind of player the Royals could happily take if he makes it to them, much like Jac Caglianone did in 2024.
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