Lucas Braun keeps giving the Royals a reason to pay attention.
The 24-year-old right-hander, ranked as Kansas City’s No. 11 prospect, made his first start since the deal that sent Lane Thomas to the Braves at the Trade Deadline and turned in a strong showing for Triple-A Omaha. Braun worked six innings of two-run ball in the Storm Chasers’ 11-2 win over Toledo in Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader at Fifth Third Field.
He didn’t overpower the Mud Hens, but he didn’t need to. Braun struck out three and posted a 20.8 percent whiff rate while leaning on the kind of deep arsenal that has helped him stack up one solid outing after another. Over his last 40 innings, he has a 1.58 ERA and has limited hitters to a .158 average.
That performance fits the profile Braun has carried through his pro career. His four-seam fastball sits in the low 90s and has reached 96 mph, and his low-80s slider has shown it can miss bats and draw chases. He also mixes in a sinker, cutter, curveball and changeup, giving him six different looks to work with.
Command has been a big part of the package, too. Braun has finished each of his first three pro seasons with a walk rate under eight percent, and he was in control again Friday, throwing 68.3 percent of his pitches for strikes.
The Royals selected Braun in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Cal State Northridge. He’s been steady ever since, logging a 3.26 ERA and 3.14 FIP across two Minor League levels in 2024, then following that with a 3.67 ERA in 24 appearances split between Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett in 2025.
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