The Royals were always going to eye upside with their first selections of the MLB Draft, and as the picks got closer on Sunday night, they zeroed in on hitters. Their first two picks fit the target.

Shane Van Dam recently returned from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for much of the 2025 season. He posted a 4.58 ERA in 16 games in 2024 before suffering the injury. Van Dam pitched in three games and limited opponents to a .233 batting average post injury.

A 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher, MLB teams were salivating at the opportunity to select Shane Van Dam in the 2025 draft. The Cranford alum did not pitch much, totaling 45 1/3 innings in the last two years at NC State,