Royals Nab Complete College Slugger with the #6 Overall Pick in our June MLB Mock Draft

[Jamie Cameron]

It's time to check back in with another Royals mock. The MLB Draft is just five weeks away. This class is as muddled as any I've covered, though it's plenty deep in talent. You can find our mock consensus draft board here. Let's check in on some player profiles it's currently mocking to the Royals with their first few picks in July.

With the #6 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

Burress has been one of the most consistently productive college hitters since he set foot on campus at Georgia Tech. There's no arguing the track record, but there's a limited catalog of impact bats in the big leagues who stood 5'9.

Burress has a ton of moving parts in his swing that can get a little convoluted and may be problematic against higher-quality pitching in professional baseball. It's good (not outstanding) bat-to-ball skills with tremendous quality of contact that have resulted in 44 home runs in his first two collegiate seasons. Burress rarely expands the zone and has walked significantly more than he struck out in his first two seasons in Atlanta.

Burress has strong supplementary tools. A plus arm and above-average speed and defense give him a chance to stick in centerfield, at least in the infancy of his pro career. He'll need to be astoundingly productive in 2026 to allay fear around his size and physicality (and a poor track record with wooden bats, albeit in small samples). However, in 2026, Burress is a sure-fire first-rounder.

With the #30 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Bo Lowrance, 3B, Church Episcopal HS, SC

Lowrance has been one of the sharpest risers on the prep side in the 2026 cycle. What stands out most about the Virginia commit is his size; at 6'5, 200 pounds, there's current physicality and projection remaining in the frame.

Lowrance hits from the left side of the plate and has a smooth, controlled left-handed stroke, particularly for someone his size. There's a good mix of strong bat-to-ball metrics and extra base impact here, and Lowrance controls both the strike zone and his at-bats effectively.

It's a third base profile as a pro. Lowrance has above-average arm strength, certainly enough to handle the corner at the next level. He's a good athlete with solid average wheels and a good glove, enough to support a well-rounded offensive profile. Lowrance is the type of prospect who could develop into a 30 home run bat in the right system. He's trending towards the top 40.

With the #56 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Will Brick, C, Christian Brothers HS, TN

Brick is another reclass originally part of the 2027 draft class who is currently committed to Mississippi State. Prep catching (and catching in general) is notoriously difficult to prognosticate, but Brick has well-rounded skills and tools that give me a greater level of optimism than most prospects in this demographic.

Hitting from the right side of the plate, Brick has a clean swing and put up some of the best bat speed numbers on the 2025 summer showcase circuit. While he hasn't accessed more than average in-game power yet, Brick's swing and frame have the ingredients to get there. This is supplemented by good bat-to-ball skills and a solid approach, a combination of offensive skills that may eventually get Brick to above-average hit and power tools.

Defensively, he's a strong prospect. It's a massive arm, with additional skill (sub 1.9 pop times) in controlling the running game. His receiving game (and defense in general) is as praised as his leadership capabilities and other intangibles. Prep catching is not a demographic that inspires confidence, but Brick is one of the few I'd bet on to make an impact as a pro.

With the #91 Overall Pick, the Royals Select: Matt Ponatoski, SS/RHP, Archbishop Moeller HS, OH

Matt Ponatoski is a two-sport high school athlete currently committed to the University of Kentucky for both baseball and football, a fact that undoubtedly clouds his draft status. On the diamond, there are plenty of skills and tools that set him up as a T100 prospect in the class.

Ponatoski is a left-handed hitter who sets up with a fairly significant barrel tip in his stance. He had an unbelievable summer in 2025, putting up some of the best hitting numbers in the country with the bat, demonstrating particularly good bat-to-ball skills backed up by an excellent approach in which he walked plenty and rarely expanded the zone.

While he doesn't have the explosive athleticism to stick at shortstop, Ponatoski has a double-plus arm (as you might expect from an elite quarterback). He's been over 100 mph with throws from the infield, and in the mid-90s as a right-handed arm off the mound with a big curveball to boot. He's a profile who may accelerate when he focuses solely on baseball, but a split focus remains possible given his quarterbacking responsibilities.

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