KANSAS CITY -- “Disappearing,” “invisible” and “just plain devastating” are some of the ways evaluators have described L.P. Langevin’s four-seam fastball. The pitch generated a 45.4% whiff rate this spring for the Ragin’ Cajuns, tops in Division I baseball (min. 250 pitches), and it’s lethal at the top of the zone specifically.

Langevin, the Royals’ fourth-round pick in this year’s MLB Draft, does not quite know how his fastball generates those kinds of descriptions -- he just wants to keep doing it.

“I just grip it and rip it,” Langevin said. “I never learned it. It just happened.”

At the University of Louisiana at Lafayette this year, Langevin started to learn the numbers behind his unique fastball. The velocity doesn’t blow hitters away in the low-90s, although he can touch 95 mph. What does blow them away is the tremendous spin, the riding life and the armside run. That’s a lot for one pitch. Langevin throws from a lower slot, a change he made for comfort and for more velocity when he was in junior college. That angle makes his heater have even more deception.

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The Royals will be adding that plus-plus fastball to their system soon, as Langevin has decided to sign with them following his Draft selection Monday. A Quebec City native, Langevin has gotten better at every level he’s pitched at, and now he’s excited to bring his stuff and competitiveness to professional baseball.

“It was a dream come true,” Langevin said. “But it’s just the start. And now it’s time to get to work.”

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Langevin grew up as a hockey player, lacing up his skates nearly year-round. Summer was the season for baseball, although it wasn’t until middle school that Langevin started taking the sport more seriously. When he did, he fell in love with it.

His only offer to play college ball in the United States was at Wabash Valley College in Illinois. And he’s the first to admit he was far behind the other pitchers in terms of skill.

“I had no business being there,” Langevin said. “The rotation was 95-100 mph. I was like 86-89. But I love to work. I pride myself on my work ethic.”

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Injuries helped Langevin find a spot on the team, and his sophomore year, he helped the Warriors to the finals of the 2023 Junior College World Series.

That summer, Langevin pitched in the MLB Draft League and didn’t allow a run in 11 1/3 innings while striking out 22. He said he learned a ton from his manager and pitching coach, David Carpenter, who played parts of six seasons in the Majors. Plus, the schedule was what it will be like in pro ball.

“It really helped the experience,” Langevin said. “Just a step to the next level. So I know a little bit about what it’s going to be like. It was a lot of fun.”

For the Ragin’ Cajuns this year, Langevin posted a 3.73 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings, winning Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

Unsurprisingly, Langevin relied heavily on his fastball, using it at an 80% clip this spring, so he’ll need to refine his slider and changeup in pro ball. And while the fastball got him drafted, his competitiveness also stands out.

“You can’t really tell what it’s going to do,” scouting director Brian Bridges said of the heater. “Hitters will tell you, when he throws a ball that’s a hittable pitch, they swing at it like they didn’t see it or they swing right through it. He’s such a competitor and doesn’t think about those things, and he hasn’t been exposed to a lot of analytics and things that can help him. So we look forward to getting him out to Arizona. He’s a fun guy.”

Day 3 prep players
The Royals drafted three high school players on Tuesday: right-handed pitcher Kyle DeGroat out of Wallkill Senior High School (N.Y.) in the 14th round, lefty Dane Burns out of Prosper High School (Texas) in the 17th round and outfielder Corey Cousin out of Slidell High School (La.) in the 18th round.

DeGroat is ranked No. 239 among MLB Pipeline’s Draft Prospects and is committed to Texas.

“He has the tools,” Bridges said. “Our scouts really loved who the kid was. This guy wants to play baseball.”

Burns is committed to Mississippi State University and actually graduated high school in 2023, using his gap year to recover from Tommy John surgery. Cousins is committed to the University of Oklahoma and is an “80-grade runner,” according to Bridges.

“Let’s just say we’re not shaking hands, we still got a ways to go, but there’s a good chance we could shake hands at some point,” Bridges said about the signability of the three players. “That’s the easiest way I can put it.”