Josh

Hammond

The Royals officially agreed to a contract with their supplemental first-rounder for $3.19 million, which is slightly over the slot value. The North Carolina high school shortstop was a Wake Forest recruit, so the team needed to pay up to get him to forgo that. He has plus raw power, but also sits at 96 mph with his fastball as a pitcher and has flashed a plus slider. It will be interesting to see what the Royals’ plan is for him.

Hammond is one of the most intriguing infielders in the class, and also is viewed by some as a two-way prospect. Kansas City will have him focus on the bat as an 18-year-old who has plus power and makes loud contact. He may need to move to third, but his pop potential along with a very strong arm would play fine there. There’s significant upside in Hammond’s bat, but there’s certainly risk that comes with the reward.