The draft can be a bit of a crapshoot. Injuries derail some players, while others have trouble adjusting to the professional level. Asa Lacy experienced both problems. Six years after the Royals made him the fourth overall pick, the team is finally cutting ties, releasing him outright.
Lacy was an absolute stud at Texas A&M University. In 2019, he had a 2.13 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 88 2⁄3 innings, and he pitched for the U.S. Collegiate National team that summer. He was a lefty who filled out his 6’4” frame, throwing regularly in the mid-90s with a wipeout slider.
The pandemic halted the 2020 college baseball season just as it was getting started, depriving scouts of an opportunity to see amateur talent. Baseball still held its draft in June, but the information felt incomplete. Teams at the top of the draft elected to go with safer college talent – the first seven picks were all collegiate players. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ranked Lacy as the #3 prospect, so the Royals appeared to be getting a terrific prospect when they selected him fourth overall, signing him to a $6.67 million bonus.
There was no minor league season in 2020, but the Royals felt so confident in Lacy, they sent him to make his pro debut in High A Quad Cities in 2021. He made 14 starts there and had eye-popping striking out numbers, with 79 punchouts in 52 innings, or one-third of all hitters he faced. But he also struggled with control, walking 41 hitters and putting up a 5.19 ERA. He was shut down in July with a shoulder injury, but returned that fall to pitch in the Arizona Fall League with impressive results.
The Royals promoted him to Double-A in 2022 at the age of 23, but after just two starts he was shut down with a back injury. When he returned, he completely fell apart. Overall, he struck out 35 but walked 42 in just 28 innings – a real-life “Nuke LaLoosh”. After a 10.61 ERA in 15 games, the Royals shut him down. He didn’t pitch the entire 2023 season due to back injuries, and had Tommy John surgery in 2024. He has not pitched in a game since 2022, and was released with a total of 80 minor league innings under his belt.
Looking back, the top of the 2020 draft class looks rather cursed. Top pick Spencer Torkelson has a couple of 30+ home run seasons, but overall has had mixed results. The #2 pick Heston Kjerstad, #3 pick Max Meyer, and #9 pick Zac Veen have been hit by injuries. The #5 pick Austin Martin and #7 pick Nick Gonzales look like utility players. Emerson Hancock, the #6 pick, may finally be coming through at age 27. Meanwhile, the #8 pick Robert Hassell is still in the minors. Still, there were two All-Stars in that draft – #11 pick Garrett Crochet and #19 pick Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Lacy’s release is a reminder that even the most polished amateur arms come with real risk, especially in a draft shaped by uncertainty. The Royals didn’t make an unreasonable bet at the time. Many teams would have done the same. Injuries robbed Lacy of development time, and likely contributed to his command issues. What once looked like a potential cornerstone instead becomes a cautionary tale, another example of how quickly promise can unravel, and how even the “safe” picks are anything but.
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