Royals stockpile college arms on Day 2 of Draft

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KANSAS CITY -- The Royals went with a big, powerful college bat and a high-upside young prep arm on Day 1 of the MLB Draft with Florida first baseman/left-handed pitcher Jac Caglianone (No. 6 overall) and Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School lefty David Shields (No. 41) on Sunday night.

Kansas City started Day 2 of the Draft with a college pitcher. Rounds 3-10 are scheduled to take place on Monday, with the final day and rounds 11-20 happening on Tuesday afternoon.

Here’s a rundown of each pick the Royals made on Monday:

Round 3, 76th overall: RHP Drew Beam, Tennessee
Scouting report: A huge piece of the Volunteers’ rotation the past three years, Beam allowed two runs in two College World Series starts this season, helping Tennessee win its first national championship in June. He was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in ‘22 and was the Vols’ best starter during their ‘23 playoff run. MLB Pipeline’s No. 64 Draft prospect, Beam is reliable and durable, making him a safe bet with a high floor, and he has four pitches, including an above-average changeup and a fastball that sits at 93-95 mph.

Did you know?: Beam has a younger sister, Carlee, who has spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder affecting the central nervous system. Beam designed and now wears a glove with purple accents as well as wristbands when he takes the field to raise awareness for those with the genetic disease.

Quotable: "That is a vet pitcher. We were behind him tonight and, man, did he show up on a big-time stage.” -- Tennessee outfielder Hunter Ensley, on Beam’s five-inning, one-run outing against North Carolina on June 16 in Omaha

Round 4, 105th overall: RHP L.P. Langevin, Louisiana-Lafayette
Scouting report: Coming in at No. 230 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects, Langevin’s best offering is his fastball, which sits at 92-95 mph, but has high spin rates and tons of ride, leading to a lot of swing and miss on the pitch. Langevin throws from a low-slot angle, so there’s some deception to his work. He also possesses a slider and changeup and has primarily been a reliever in college, so he’ll likely follow that track in pro ball. He appeared in 23 games for the Ragin' Cajuns in 2024, making three starts, and striking out 106 batters in 62 2/3 innings while walking 33.

Fun fact: Langevin is a native of Quebec and spent his first two college seasons at Wabash Valley (Ill.) He transferred to Louisiana-Lafayette in 2024 and earned Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

Round 5, 138th overall: A.J. Causey, RHP, Tennessee
Scouting report: He went from Jacksonville State’s closer to their Friday night starter to helping Tennessee win its first national title by logging 13 wins in 2024. Causey was ranked No. 242 on MLB Pipeline’s prospect board. The righty has a sidearm delivery that gives tons of deception to his changeup, a pitch that is a major weapon against righties, and a slider, which has high spin rates. Causey’s fastball sits in the low 90s, and he’s able to throw it for strikes, which is a must with lower velocity. He thrived as a bulk pitcher for Tennessee behind an opener and struck out 125 batters in 91 1/3 innings this past season.

Fun fact: Beam and Causey were not only teammates at Tennessee, but also travel ball buddies in high school while playing for Vipers Baseball Academy. Now, they’ll likely be teammates in Kansas City together.

Quotable: “It looked like he was throwing a Wiffle ball to me. That thing is pretty funky.” -- Northern Kentucky head baseball coach Dizzy Peyton, to Knoxville News after facing Causey at the end of May

Round 6, 167th overall: Tanner Jones, RHP, Texas A&M
Scouting report: At 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds, Jones is a big right-hander who posted a 6.33 ERA across 15 games (12 starts) for the Aggies his junior season in 2024. He spent two seasons at Jacksonville State before transferring to Texas A&M and helping the Aggies to the College World Series final, where they lost to Tennessee. Jones has a fastball that sits 93-95 mph, which should play up if he gets onto the reliever track, and his other offerings include a cutter, slider and changeup.

Round 7, 197th overall: Dennis Colleran, RHP Northeastern
Scouting report: Colleran underwent Tommy John surgery during his freshman year at Northeastern University in Boston, but he returned to the mound in 2023 to pitch in a pair of summer leagues. He ended his ‘24 season with the Huskies with a 7.97 ERA, but recorded scoreless appearances in nine of his last 15 appearances. Colleran, the 207th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, is known for his premium velocity, with a fastball in the 96-100 mph range. He also has a power 88-91 mph cutter/slider and a splitter. Colleran needs some refinement at the next level with his delivery and arsenal, but his size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) gives him a powerful presence on the mound. He’s a true relief prospect with a big arm, one who could move quickly if he starts to harness his stuff.

Fun fact: Colleran was one of the standouts at the MLB Draft Combine in June, throwing the three hardest pitches of Day 2. He topped out at 99.2 mph and averaged 98.1 mph, and he also averaged 90.7 mph with his cutter/slider.

Round 8, 227th overall: Nick Conte, RHP, Duke
Scouting report: Conte, a senior in 2024, pitched in just seven games (six innings) for Duke this season and missed the entire ‘23 season with an injury. In ‘20, his Draft stock was rising as a senior at North Providence (R.I.) High School, but the MLB Draft was cut to five rounds due to the pandemic and Conte headed to Duke instead with a fastball in the low-90s and a hard slider. Injuries limited time there, but the 22-year-old stood out earlier this summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, when he allowed just one run in 11 1/3 innings (0.79 ERA) with 24 strikeouts and just two walks.

Round 9, 257th overall: Canyon Brown, C, North Carolina A&T
Scouting report: Brown slashed .288/.377/.471 across three seasons at North Carolina A&T and has some good showings in summer leagues the past two years, including posting a .766 OPS in the Northwoods League in 2023. That pushed him into a career year for the Aggies this past season, earning first-team All-Coastal Athletic Association honors after batting .310 with a .906 OPS, 49 RBIs, 23 walks and 38 strikeouts in 239 plate appearances. Behind the plate, he caught 27 attempted basestealers and posted a .979 fielding percentage.

Fun fact: Brown participated in the second annual HBCU Swingman Classic last week at Globe Life Field, kicking off All-Star Week in Arlington. The event is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation for baseball student-athletes from Division I programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

Round 10, 287th overall: Nate Ackenhausen, LHP, LSU
Scouting report: Ackenhausen is a big presence on the mound, standing at 6-foot-2 and 256 pounds. He transferred from Eastern Oklahoma State CC in 2023 and played a big role in LSU’s bullpen during its national championship season last year. Ackenhausen made 37 appearances (seven starts) with the Tigers over two seasons and posted a 4.76 ERA with four saves, striking out 95 batters and walking 36 in 73 2/3 innings. Ackenhausen, who has mainly pitched as a reliever and has that projection coming into pro ball, came up in some big moments for LSU over the last two years, including striking out the side in the eighth inning against North Carolina in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional championship game.