Sean Gamble waited patiently for his phone to ring. The Des Moines, Iowa native could see his future on the horizon but didn’t know where it would ultimately take him.
Gamble, 19, wouldn’t have to go too far. On Sunday, the Kansas City Royals picked him 23rd overall in the 2025 MLB Draft.
“I got the call and it was my brother, my dad and my mom here,” Gamble said. “And then my friends started funneling in afterwards. So I got a lot of congratulations and it was a very special night for sure.”
The Royals rave about Gamble’s versatility. He can play the infield but was selected with plans to feature primarily in center field. Royals scouting director Brian Bridges likes his expansive range and plus speed on the basepaths.
And Gamble fell in love with the organization after a June workout at Kauffman Stadium. But the Royals’ interest originated as he matriculated through IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
“They attended lots of my IMG games down in Florida,” he said. “So I knew the interest was there. It’s just, you know, a draft and everything is up in the air until the moment it happens.
“Then, they invited me to a pre-draft workout at Kauffman Stadium, which was a small group of kids. That’s when the interest level peaked and they saw the ability and the talent.”
Gamble fits the Royals’ offensive vision. He has projectable hitting tools that consist of a smooth swing from the left-handed side of the plate. He can also hit the baseball to all fields, as evidenced by his .413 batting average, four home runs and 30 RBIs as a senior.
“You know we look at him to be a top-of-the-order leadoff guy that can really run,” Bridges said. “He’s a 70-run (grade), so real excited. Former hockey player and he played hockey all the way up to the eighth grade and decided he wanted to play baseball.”
Gamble became a talented athlete at a young age. He started playing hockey and baseball at age 3. He also dabbled in tennis, as his dad played in college.
That’s how he landed at IMG Academy. Gamble attended a tennis camp on campus and returned the following year for baseball. His interest with the program continued to grow and he was a part of school by the time he was 14 years old.
“They kept inviting me back for camps and they saw the interest level,” Gamble said. “I was familiar with the coaching staff and the environment. By the time my eighth-grade year came around, I talked to my parents and we just agreed that IMG was the best place for me to maximize my potential in this game.”
Gamble had dreams of making it to Major League Baseball. He starred at IMG alongside Washington Nationals star James Wood and Royals prospect Stone Russell, among others. The competition also allowed Gamble to elevate his game quickly.
And draw a commitment to Vanderbilt.
“It’s iron sharpens iron,” Gamble said. “I mean, when you’re around the best of the best, you get to see their mindset, you get to see their work ethic, you get to see what works and what doesn’t work. You get to see how they stay themselves and that’s what’s most successful for them.
“And it’s all just a big learning experience. It’s, ‘How much I can take in from these professional athletes to attribute to my game?’”
