Royals' No. 11 prospect showcases deep pitch mix in first start since Thomas trade
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Over the past six weeks, few pitchers across the Minor Leagues have delivered better results than Lucas Braun.
The Royals' No. 11 prospect looked sharp in his first outing since being acquired in the deal that sent Lane Thomas to the Braves at the Trade Deadline, tossing six innings of two-run ball in Triple-A Omaha’s 11-2 win over Toledo in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader at Fifth Third Field.
Over the course of his outing, the 24-year-old collected three strikeouts and tallied a 20.8 percent whiff rate. Over his past 40 innings pitched, Braun sports a 1.58 ERA and has held opposing hitters to just a .158 batting average in that span.
Braun is a pitcher who doesn’t possess overpowering or swing-and-miss stuff. Still, he does feature a deep six-pitch mix that includes a low-90s four-seamer that’s topped out at 96 mph and a low-80s slider that's shown an ability to generate both whiffs and chase. To round the arsenal out, he also sports a sinker, cutter, curveball and a changeup.
Along with a plethora of pitches at his disposal, the right-hander has flashed exemplary command, posting a sub-eight percent walk rate in each of his first three pro seasons. Braun again showcased that command on Friday against the Mud Hens, tossing 68.3 percent of his pitches for strikes.
Originally selected in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the Cal State Northridge alum has been a steady performer throughout his professional career. In 2024, his first full season, he posted a 3.26 ERA and 3.14 FIP across two Minor League levels. In '25, he delivered a strong encore performance, posting a 3.67 ERA in 24 appearances between Double-A Columbus and Triple-A Gwinnett.
Along with a 3.42 career ERA, Braun has proven to be incredibly durable. In each of his first three full seasons, he's pitched 100 or more innings. His 293 1/3 combined innings between 2024 and '25 ranked fourth among all Minor Leaguers.