Five prep pitchers to watch for the 2025 MLB draft

Could Kansas City look to add even more pitching depth?

There may be some built-up frustration among Royals fans surrounding the potential of drafting a prep arm at the top of the draft due to some struggles with pitching development in the past. But it is a new day in Kansas City, and due to some incredible work by Brian Sweeney, Paul Gibson, and many others, the Royals have flipped the script and now appear to be one of the best pitching development organizations in baseball.

There are numerous examples of the Royals' impressive progress in developing pitchers at every level of the organization. In the minors, players like Frank Mozzicatto, Felix Arronde, and Yunior Marte have seen significant improvements in a short time since the Royals' new staff arrived. At the major league level, guys like Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans, and Daniel Lynch have seen leaps forward, not to mention countless others, including Steven Cruz, who has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the last month.

Fans may argue that the Royals need more hitting depth due to the recent struggles of Kansas City hitters in the minor leagues: It is certainly true that the Royals need to find more hitting talent in the organization, but with their struggles to develop young bats, there is some risk in spending a lot of capital on young bats. On the other hand, spending capital on young pitchers could yield high rewards, and if the Royals run into a log jam, they can use some of that talent in trades for bats in the future.

Today, I look at the top five prep arms the Royals can realistically target in the 2025 draft that I think would have a bright future in Kansas City.

*Seth Hernandez is my top prep pitcher, but he will not be available

Camerorn Appenzellerr

At just 18 years old, Appenzeller shows a boatload of projectability with his massive 6’6/180 that has plenty of room to build muscle and power. Right now, Appenzeller's fastball is subpar and often sits below 90, but can run up to 95. He does offer a sinker with great movement and is an effective pitch because of his size and wide arm angle, and will only get better as he builds velocity. He has a repeatable delivery and a good changeup and slider that will play better as he continues to build power and shape behind his fastballs.

The next steps for Appenzeller will primarily be building muscle and power behind his pitches. Similar to another former Royals first-round pick, Frank Mozzicatto, it is clear the tools are there, and there is plenty to work with going forward. Appenzeller grades out as my second-best prep arm in the class and my 9th pitcher overall. He could be a first-round selection at 28, and the Royals could look to sign him under slot, and if he falls to 61, it should be a no-brainer.

Aaron Watson

Watson is one of the best sinker-ballers in the class, using his big frame to get good spin on secondary pitches and put good power on his down-breaking sinker. Standing at 6’5/205, he shows a lot of projectability to continue building velocity. Right now, his sinker sits low 90s, but can get up around 95, and he also offers a sweeping slider and solid changeup, all of which he commands relatively well. His slider sits low 80s, and with more muscle may be able to add a more powerful version of the pitch and make a distinct sweeper and slider.

The next steps for Watson will be adding consistent power and increasing his usage of the changeup to remain as a starter as he moves through an organization. He has plenty of room to add muscle and power behind his pitches, and with the quality shape of his sinker, it will make it very hard to catch up to him on the mound. Watson's delivery is long but has a good movement routine that is repeatable and will be refined with time. I have Watson graded as my third prep arm and 12th pitcher overall, and similar to the aforementioned Appenzeller, he could be an under-slot first-rounder or a steal in the second.

Zach Strickland

Strickland is another prep arm who has a great frame with more room to fill out and add muscle, which will be appealing, especially with Strickland already throwing in the low to mid-90s. His heater is one of the best fastballs among prep arms in the class, and will be a great building block. He has a good slider and changeup, and also offers a curveball that is coming along but is merely average as of now. He has developed his feel for his pitch mix, and his ability to throw strikes with all four offerings is rare to find in a prep pitcher.

Strickland comes in at 6’2/180 and has room to build some muscle and power there, which should help take some effort out of his delivery. The next steps will be refining that delivery and trying to take some of the effort out of his arm in his delivery to help him have more consistency. He would be a bit of a reach if taken in the first round, but would be great value for Kansas City to add in the second round with hopes to lure him away from UCLA.

Marcos Paz

Paz is a prep arm that I fell in love with at the combine, where he showed some of the best spin rates of any pitcher in attendance. He may have the best slider in the class, and it can get as high as 3,000 RPM with incredible break. His sinker is a high-quality pitch sitting mid-90s, and he has a good feel for a changeup that keeps hitters timing off. He has a smooth delivery with minimal effort that allows him to throw strikes consistently.

Paz is not a big guy, at just 6’1, but carries 225 pounds, and his stocky build allows him to generate great arm speed and produce more power than you would expect. His delivery is effortless and is one of the smoothest motions in the class, which projects well as he moves through his pro career. The next step for Paz will be building his pitch mix. He may want to add a cutter to keep hitters even more off the barrel.

There is some injury concern after Paz missed his entire senior year due to Tommy John surgery, but at the combine, he looked better than ever. I have him ranked as my fourth prep arm in the class and 15th overall. He is projected to go in the third round, which would be a good spot, but I would not mind the Royals grabbing him under slot in the second.

Johnny Slawinski

One of my favorite prep arms in the class, Slawinski has a great frame and all the building blocks to become a top-tier starter in the MLB. His Fastball is already in the 90s, and he has a quality four-pitch mix that he can command well. With a fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider, all of which he can throw for strikes, Slawinski is well ahead of his peers in command and feel for the game.

Slawinski is an exceptional athlete, playing four sports in high school. Slawinski has a thin build coming in at 6’3’’, 180 pounds and shows a lot of room to build muscle and power. Due to his already exceptional command, adding velocity is the primary step in his development. I have Slawinski as my fifth prep arm and 17th overall pitcher. He is likely to go near the second round and would be a no-brainer in the third if he is available.