Josh Hammond Stats & Scouting Report

AB	190
AVG	.279
OBP	.346
SLG	.442
HR	3

Full name Joshua Matthew Hammond
Born 09/21/2006 in Greensboro, NC
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Wesleyan Christian
Drafted in the PPI round (28th overall) by the Kansas City Royals in 2025 (signed for $3,197,500).

View Draft Report

School: Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. Drafted/Committed: Wake Forest
Age At Draft: 18.8

BA Grade: 55/Extreme

Hammond entered the 2025 spring as one of the most talented pitching prospects in the class, and by the end of the spring he was viewed almost unanimously as a top-two-rounds talent as a position player. Hammond is a powerfully built athlete with a 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame. On the mound he has great arm speed, a fastball up to 99 mph and the makings of a plus slider. If he wanted to pitch, he would likely fit in the first three rounds of the draft. But he prefers hitting and this spring showed why teams needed to take him seriously as an infielder and power-oriented righthanded bat. Hammond has a relaxed setup with his weight stacked over his back leg, a soft hand press in his load and a standard leg kick before firing his hands through the zone with great bat speed. He can drive the ball with authority to both gaps and has plus raw power, though he has a tendency to leak out early on his front side versus secondaries. Hammond should have a power-over-hit offensive profile, but he has the contact ability to get to an average hit tool with more reps and development. He’s an average runner who should get a chance to stick at shortstop, though his actions and range lead most evaluators to think he’ll wind up at third base, where he could be an above-average defender with a plus arm. Hammond is an intense competitor on the field and is committed to Wake Forest but has been scouted heavily as a top-two-rounds talent.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run:50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60. Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 55/High

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: Hammond entered his senior spring at Wesleyan Christian Academy in 2025 regarded as a potential top 100 draft pick on the mound, where he was up to 99 mph. But the two-way North Carolina prep and Wake Forest commit switched up and instead preferred to advance as a position player so he could take the field every day. The risk paid off when the Royals drafted Hammond 28th overall and signed him for $3,197,500. Kansas City earned the Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick via Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2024 runner-up American League MVP finish. Hammond spent the rest of the summer playing in unofficial bridge league games—he homered in his first at-bat—and then instructional league alongside fellow first-rounder Sean Gamble.

Scouting Report: Hammond hits with a rotational swing featuring a long, flat, sweepy bat path and solid bat speed. He uses his plus raw power to drive the ball with authority to both gaps, and he’s already flashing the ability to backspin balls to his pull side. Hammond fights a tendency to leak out early on his front side versus secondary pitches. It looks like a power-over-hit profile in the long run, but he has enough feel for contact to project as an average hitter with more reps. Hammond spent time at both shortstop and third base upon arriving at the Royals’ complex. His actions, range and solid hands likely fit best at third base, where he could be an above-average defender with a plus arm. The son of a longtime college coach, Hammond is an intense competitor with an elite feel for the game.

The Future: All that time spent around the game could help Hammond move relatively quickly, perhaps on a similar development track as Gamble. He’ll head to Low-A Columbia for 2026 and could one day be an above-average big league third baseman.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run: 50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60

Draft Prospects

School: Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. Drafted/Committed: Wake Forest
Age At Draft: 18.8

BA Grade: 55/Extreme

Hammond entered the 2025 spring as one of the most talented pitching prospects in the class, and by the end of the spring he was viewed almost unanimously as a top-two-rounds talent as a position player. Hammond is a powerfully built athlete with a 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame. On the mound he has great arm speed, a fastball up to 99 mph and the makings of a plus slider. If he wanted to pitch, he would likely fit in the first three rounds of the draft. But he prefers hitting and this spring showed why teams needed to take him seriously as an infielder and power-oriented righthanded bat. Hammond has a relaxed setup with his weight stacked over his back leg, a soft hand press in his load and a standard leg kick before firing his hands through the zone with great bat speed. He can drive the ball with authority to both gaps and has plus raw power, though he has a tendency to leak out early on his front side versus secondaries. Hammond should have a power-over-hit offensive profile, but he has the contact ability to get to an average hit tool with more reps and development. He’s an average runner who should get a chance to stick at shortstop, though his actions and range lead most evaluators to think he’ll wind up at third base, where he could be an above-average defender with a plus arm. Hammond is an intense competitor on the field and is committed to Wake Forest but has been scouted heavily as a top-two-rounds talent.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 55 | Run:50 | Field: 55 | Arm: 60. Fastball: 60 | Slider: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45.
School: Wesleyan Christian Academy, High Point, N.C. Committed: Wake Forest
Age At Draft: 18.8
Hammond is an athletic pitcher with a strong lower half who generates one of the better fastballs in the class. He has fast arm speed, gets deep into his legs in his delivery and reaches 95 mph with impressive life. The pitch has good carry up in the zone, helping him miss bats when he elevates. His low-80s slider is a potential plus pitch that has tight spin and flashes sharp break—already a consistent bat misser. Hammond has power stuff, but he’s also flashed feel for a changeup with good fading action. Hammond’s three-pitch mix is one of the best in the high school class, but there are outings where he’s struggled with strikes, so the development of his control will be important.