Baylor Star Shortstop Tyriq Kemp Selected in 6th Round by Kansas City

From Struggles to Success: Tyriq Kemp's Journey to Refind His Signature Spark

Baylor baseball senior shortstop Tyriq Kemp was selected 188th overall in the sixth round by the Kansas City Royals in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft on Monday.

Kemp delivered a breakout season for the Bears this spring, posting a .358 batting average, a .542 slugging percentage and a .988 OPS. He led Baylor’s lineup with 72 hits, including 14 doubles, a triple and seven home runs, while driving in 41 runs. On the basepaths, he swiped nine bags and crossed the plate 48 times, all while anchoring the defense with gold-glove caliber play up the middle.

During conference play, Kemp hit .389, slugged .602 and raised his OPS to 1.068, with five of his seven home runs coming versus Big 12 opponents. He led Baylor’s batting order with 23 RBIs and walked more times (16) than he struck out (15) against Big 12 pitchers.

The Netherlands native earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors and is the 156th Bear to be drafted all-time. Baylor has now had picks in 34 of the last 35 drafts, dating back to 1991.