The Kansas City Royals selected 17 players in rounds 4 - 20 on the final day of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft. In total, the Royals selected 13 pitchers, five infielders, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 22 picks, 14 were from the college ranks, 2 from JUCO schools, and six were high school players.
In the 4th round the Royals selected 22-year-old Nebraska native Nolan Sailors, an outfielder out of Creighton University. In 4 seasons with the Bluejays Sailors hit 19 home runs, got 148 RBIs and 63 stolen bases. In the 5th round, the Royals selected 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Aiden Jimenez out of the University of Arkansas. Jimenez completed his redshirt sophomore season with the Razorbacks in 2025, going 4-1 with 40 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched, posting a 3.40 ERA.
In the 6th round the Royals selected 22-year-old infielder Tyriq Kemp out of Baylor University. Kemp played in 55 games for the Bears this season, with 48 runs, 41 RBIs and was also announced as a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award in 2025, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate shortstop. Kemp was raised in The Netherlands and was a member of the Dutch National Teams from ages U15 to U23, guiding the U23 team to a gold medal at the European Baseball Championship in 2021. In round 7 the Royals selected 21-year-old right-handed pitcher Bryson Dudley out of Texas State University. He pitched in 24 games for the Bobcats, holding opponents to a .185 batting average that was a school record, paired with a 3.93 ERA.
In round 8 the Royals selected 21-year old catcher Brooks Bryan out of Troy University. Bryan started all 60 games for the Trojans this season, hitting 18 doubles and 12 home runs. He earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors as a sophomore in 2024 and was a part of the 2024 Team USA Collegiate National Team, appearing in 4 games, and hit a grand slam on July 3 vs. Chinese Taipei.
With the 9th round pick the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Shane Van Dam out of North Carolina State University. Van Dam, underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2024, pitched in just 3 games (1 start) at the end of this season. The 21-year-old pitched in 16 games and covered 37.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024, striking out 38 batters. He played both baseball and football at SUNY Cortland in 2023, striking out 43 batters in 29.1 innings while playing quarterback for the Red Dragons, but not appearing in a game.
The rest of the Royals picks:
Round 10 - Max Martin, RHP University of California-Irvine
Round 11 - Hunter Alberini, RHP University of Arizona
Round 12 - Bryson Dudley, RHP University of Georgia
Round 13 - Tyson Moran, IF F.E. Madill Secondary School Ontario, CAN committed to play at North Dakota State University
Round 14 - JC Vanek, IF Chipola College
Round 15 - Connor Rasmussen, IF Tulane University
Round 16 - Randy Ramnarace, RHP University of New Haven
Round 17 - Luke Nowak, OF University of Illinois at Chicago
Round 18 - Grayson Boles, RHP St. Augustine High School (Calif.) committed to the University of Texas
Round 19 - Dylan Wood, RHP Franklin High School (Calif.) committed to play baseball at the University of Arizona
Round 20 - Kamden Edge, RHP Northern Oklahoma Junior College