Royals Release Former First-Round Pick Asa Lacy After Injuries

The Kansas City Royals have released former first-round pick Asa Lacy after six injury-plagued years in the organization.

This blog post digs into what went wrong, why this high-profile pitching prospect never quite lived up to the hype, and what might be next for Lacy as he looks for a fresh start.

Royals release Asa Lacy: What happened

Lacy and the Royals mutually agreed to part ways, hoping to give him a real shot at recovery and a new beginning. Instead of keeping him tied up in more rehab, the Royals let him go so he can figure out his next move as a minor-league free agent after the season.

Mitch Maier, the Royals’ director of player development, spoke highly of Lacy’s talent and work ethic. Still, he admitted the pitcher’s body just never cooperated enough to get him back to form.

Background: A No. 4 overall prospect with enormous expectations

Asa Lacy came out of Texas A&M as one of the top arms in the 2020 draft. Kansas City took him fourth overall and handed him a $6.67 million signing bonus, the biggest ever for a Royals pitching draftee.

At one point, he climbed as high as No. 30 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list. Scouts saw a frontline starter in him, and that buzz kept his name in the mix for years after he left college.

Injury timeline and the derailment of development

Lacy’s path kept getting blocked by injuries. First, a lat and shoulder issue in 2021. Then back problems cropped up in 2022 and 2023.

Things only got tougher—he ended up needing two Tommy John surgeries, the second one coming in 2025. He hasn’t pitched in an affiliated game since August 18, 2022, when he last threw for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

All those rehab stints took him out of real competition for years, and his development just stalled out.

Performance in the Royals system: A stark numbers reality

In 29 games (19 starts) and 80 innings with Kansas City’s minor-league clubs, Lacy posted a 7.09 ERA. The Royals kept bringing him back to their Arizona complex, hoping for a turnaround, but the injuries held him back every time.

Eventually, the team decided it was time to move on, maybe thinking a new environment might finally help him get healthy and back on track.

Key career numbers at a glance

• Draft status: No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft
• Signing bonus: $6.67 million (largest for a Royals draftee pitcher)
• Prospect rankings: Reached as high as No. 30 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 in 2021
• Minor-league stats: 80 innings, 29 games (19 starts), 7.09 ERA
• Last affiliated game: August 18, 2022 (Double-A Northwest Arkansas)
• Injuries: Lat/shoulder (2021), back issues (2022–2023), two Tommy John surgeries (second in 2025)
• Current status: Minor-league free agent as of season’s end; released by Royals to pursue next steps

What comes next for Lacy

The Royals have given Lacy the green light to explore his options. Right now, he’s zeroed in on getting healthy and proving to a new team that he can bounce back.

He might end up in an independent league, another team’s minor-league system, or even playing overseas. It’s all about showing that he can still throw with command and velocity after so many surgeries.

Honestly, it’s not just another story of a rough season. Scouts always saw his ceiling, but now he’s at a real crossroads. Is it possible for a determined comeback to turn him into a reliable contributor anywhere?

For fans and people around the league, Lacy’s release really highlights how unpredictable pitching prospects can be. Injuries—especially two Tommy Johns—can completely change a player’s path, no matter how high they were drafted.

As Lacy steps into this next phase, everyone in baseball will be watching. Can he finally stay healthy and tap back into the talent that made him such a big deal in 2020? I guess we’ll see.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Royals release former top pick Lacy after slew of injuries