John Lamb

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cincinnati Reds #11 prospect in 2016
  Lamb ranked as the top pitching prospect in a stacked Royals system heading into 2011 and he placed 18th overall on that year's Top 100 Prospects list. Alas, Lamb blew out his elbow that summer at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and saw his velocity take a nosedive. Some of that heat finally returned in 2015, which intrigued the Reds, who acquired him from the Royals along with lefthanders Brandon Finnegan and Cody Reed, at the trade deadline for Johnny Cueto. After spending multiple years pitching with a high-80s fastball, Lamb's velocity jumped back to 90-92 mph in 2015, and he touched 95. He succeeds because of average control and a great feel for changing speeds. He will drop a glacially-slow curveball at 68 mph, follow that up with a high-70s changeup, mix in a high-80s cutter and finish batters with a low-90s fastball. His curveball is slow, but unlike most slow curves it has late break and depth. Lamb used his cutter too much in his first stint in the majors, and the Reds are working with him on pitch sequencing. He is a nearly ready to step in as a back-of-the-rotation starter. His injury history and his stretches of reduced velocity are causes for concern, but he mixes pitches well and misses bats--his changeup and curve are particularly allergic to bats.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #11 prospect in 2013
  Before he blew out his elbow in 2011, Lamb was the Royals' best pitching prospect and a half-season or so away from a big league callup. He strained a lat muscle during spring training that year, and his torn ligament was discovered after he struggled to regain his velocity. He was slated to return to the mound last June, but that was delayed by a bout of tendinitis in his left foot resulting from his running work at the Royals' Arizona training complex. He threw 13 innings over six abbreviated starts before being shut down for the four months of offseason rest that is part of Kansas City's rehab protocol for Tommy John surgery. Lamb has shown signs that he was getting back to full strength, but in those starts a fastball that sat at 90-95 mph before his injury operated at just 85-91. The Royals expect he'll pick up velocity once he gets fully stretched out in 2013. He still possesses the organization's best changeup, and before he got hurt he also had an average curveball to go with excellent command. He was still shaking the rust off his curve when his season ended. Added to the 40-man roster in November, Lamb will return to Double-A to start 2013 and try to get back on the path of becoming a No. 2 starter. If he shows he's fully recovered, he could make his major league debut before the season ends.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #6 prospect in 2012
  Lamb's stock dipped when he fractured his pitching elbow in a car accident as a high school senior. The Royals stayed on him, drafted him in 2008's fifth round and signed him for $165,000. He reached Double-A two years later and established himself as one of game's top lefty prospects. Lamb strained an oblique muscle in spring training last year and showed decreased velocity once the season began. Even when his oblique healed, his stuff didn't bounce back and doctors found a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery in June. Before the surgery, Lamb showed exquisite command of a 90-95 mph fastball and a plus changeup. He also threw an inconsistent curveball that can become an average pitch. Because of his feel for his delivery, the Royals expect he won't take long to regain his command when he returns. He has shown the ability to keep the ball down in the zone and to win without his best stuff. If his pitches come back to what they were before he got hurt, Lamb projects as a solid No. 2 or 3 starter. He was only throwing off flat ground during the offseason and won't return to game action until June at the earliest. It probably will be 2013 before he's fully back to his pre-injury form. Even so, he still could get to the majors before he turns 23.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #4 prospect in 2011
  Lamb lasted five rounds in the 2008 draft because he missed his high school senior season after fracturing his elbow in a car accident. The Royals were able to sign a premium talent for $165,000, and he has shown no ill effects since. He led Kansas City farmhands with a 2.38 ERA and 159 strikeouts while reaching Double-A at age 20 in 2010. Few lefthanders can match Lamb's combination of three possible plus pitches and exquisite command. He paints the outside corner with his fastball, which usually ranges from 90-95 mph, and works down and away with a quality changeup. He also throws a curveball that isn't as consistent as his other two offerings. While Lamb's stuff is a tick below Mike Montgomery's, his ability to succeed without his best stuff could make him the better pitcher. He already has shown he can win on nights when his fastball sits at 89-90 mph and he doesn't have feel for his curve. He keeps the ball down in the zone, allowing just five homers in 148 innings last season. Lamb is expected to be part of an all-prospect Northwest Arkansas rotation with Montgomery, Danny Duffy, Chris Dwyer and Aaron Crow to start the 2011 season. If he makes as much progress as he did in 2010, he could end the year in Kansas City.
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  Ranked Kansas City Royals #7 prospect in 2010
  The Royals selected Lamb in the fifth round in 2008, even though he had missed his high school senior season with a fractured elbow that was traced to a car accident. Kansas City followed his recovery, then signed him for $165,000 just before the signing deadline. He made his pro debut last June as the Opening Day starter at Rookie-level Burlington before earning a promotion to Rookie-level Idaho Falls. As good as Lamb's stuff is, the Royals are even more excited about his demeanor. He's a 19-year-old who pitches like a major league veteran, never getting rattled. His stuff is pretty good as well, and he could end up with three average or better pitches. His fastball sits at 88-91 mph and frequently touches 94. His compact delivery adds to his fastball's effectiveness because hitters struggle to pick it up. He does a good job of keeping the ball down in the zone. His velocity is easy and his control is good for his age, products of his repeatable delivery. Like most young pitchers, Lamb sometimes is too reliant on his fastball when he should be using his changeup and curveball. He's still learning how to consistently break off the curve, and his changeup needs further refinement. Lamb should be the ace of the low Class A Burlington staff in 2010. With his makeup and stuff, he projects as a solid No. 3 starter.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Carolina League #3 prospect in 2010
  Blue Rocks opponents thought they were getting a break when lefthander Mike Montgomery moved up to Double-A after four spectacular starts. But Lamb was just as impressive after arriving in late May. "I know Montgomery is a huge prospect in that organization, but to me, Lamb was even better," Kinston manager Aaron Holbert said. "They both had a lot of swing-and-miss pitches, but Lamb just has a little more polish. He had real good game plan." Lamb's velocity improved a tick or two in 2010, and he now works from 90-95 mph with his fastball. He also shows a pair of plus secondary pitches, with his changeup more consistent than his curveball. Using a repeatable three-quarters delivery, he throws strikes and keeps the ball down in the zone.
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  Ranked Pioneer League #15 prospect in 2009
  No. 7 on our Rookie-level Appalachian League list, Lamb pitched impressively for an 18-year-old in a hostile pitcher's league. In consecutive August starts, he tossed 14 shutout innings against Great Falls, totaling 17 strikeouts, one walk and four hits allowed. A fifth-round pick a year ago, he recovered nicely from a fractured left elbow (sustained in a car accident) that wiped out his high school senior season. Lamb delivers fastballs with precision from his clean, repeatable delivery. He ranges from 88-92 mph and pops a few 93s, working both sides of the plate like a veteran. His curveball and changeup are less refined, but both have flashed plus potential. Even after the long layoff, he throws strikes with all his pitches. His arm action is clean and he has size and projection on his side. He may have been a bit underappreciated in a league that featured power-armed college lefties Corbin, Belfiore and Kehrer.
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  Ranked American League #7 prospect in 2009
  A fifth-round pick in 2008, Lamb signed for $165,000 days after the draft but he didn't take the mound for the Royals until this June, when he served as Burlington's Opening Day starter. He didn't pitch as a Laguna Hills (Calif.) High senior, missing the season after doctors discovered a fracture in his left elbow following a car accident in which his car was struck from behind. Lamb looked recovered, needing just six starts before earning a promotion to the Rookie-level Pioneer League. Burlington manager Nelson Liriano praised Lamb for his confidence, poise and willingness to challenge hitters. With a physical 6-foot-3 frame, a fluid delivery and three solid pitches, he's the prototype lefthanded starting pitching prospect. Lamb works both sides of the plate with his 88-91 mph fastball, touching 93 on occasion and mixing in a curveball and changeup that flash plus potential. He tends to rely on his fastball, a good sign for a young pitcher, but he'll learn to use his secondary offerings more as he moves up. He figures to sit in the low 90s and show more consistent tilt on his breaking ball as he matures.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #18 prospect in 2011

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Lamb's stock dipped when he fractured his pitching elbow in a car accident as a high school senior. The Royals stayed on him, drafted him in 2008's fifth round and signed him for $165,000. He reached Double-A two years later and established himself as one of game's top lefty prospects. Lamb strained an oblique muscle in spring training last year and showed decreased velocity once the season began. Even when his oblique healed, his stuff didn't bounce back and doctors found a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery in June. Scouting Report: Before the surgery, Lamb showed exquisite command of a 90-95 mph fastball and a plus changeup. He also threw an inconsistent curveball that can become an average pitch. Because of Lamb's feel for his delivery, the Royals expect he won't take long to regain his command when he returns. He has shown the ability to keep the ball down in the zone and to win without his best stuff. The Future: If his pitches come back to what they were before he got hurt, Lamb projects as a solid No. 2 or 3 starter. He was throwing off flat ground during the offseason and won't return to game action until June at the earliest. It probably will be 2013 before he's fully back to his pre-injury form. Even so, he still could get to the majors before he turns 23.