Royals select left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft

The Royals followed the same strategy that worked in 2018 by adding another college pitcher with their first-round pick of the 2020 draft by selecting left-handed pitcher Asa Lacy out of Texas A&M with the fourth overall pick. Lacy had a 2.13 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 88 ²⁄₃ innings in 2019, pitching for the U.S. Collegiate National team that summer. He was flat out dominant in four starts this year, striking out 46 hitters in 24 innings, allowing just nine hits and an ERA of 0.75. Opponents hit just .111 against him and he walked eight batters.

Lacy is a hard-throwing lefty with a big 6’4’’ frame, who bulked up to 215 pounds while at College Station. He throws regularly in the mid-90s, occasionally hitting 98 mph on the radar gun. But it is his slider that is his wipeout pitch, with many agreeing it is the best slider in the draft, and possibly the best slider from a left-handed draft prospect in years. He throws a power curveball and change that are both described as average to above-average by MLB Pipeline with the potential to improve.

The one knock on Lacy is his tendency to go deep in counts and not be pitch efficient. But he certainly has some of the best swing-and-miss stuff in this draft, with a big enough frame to be a durable workhorse. He is known for his composure on the mound, and was a leader for the Aggies on the field.

Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked Lacy as the #3 prospect on their draft boards. The Detroit Tigers, as expected, selected Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson first overall. But the Orioles wrecked many mock drafts by taking Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad second, and the Marlins surprised many by taking Minnesota pitcher Max Meyer third.

The Royals have selected a Texas A&M left-handed pitcher in the first five picks before, selecting Jeff Granger fifth overall in 1993.