Here are the Royals' 2026 Draft picks

The Royals took a bit of a different route on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, at least according to the industry, especially with their first pick when they selected Louisville outfielder Zion Rose at No. 6 overall on Saturday. On Day 2, they went heavy on arms, with 13 of their 16 picks being pitchers.

By the end of it all, they feel they added a mix of advanced college players and some high-upside prep players with their 21 total picks across the two-day Draft.

That includes Mississippi right-hander Taylor Rabe, who is a Draft-eligible sophomore and will likely sign over slot after the Royals selected him No. 30 overall, along with prep pitcher Jack Slightom, who is committed to Cincinnati but was chosen by Kansas City in the second round. The Royals, according to a source, were interested in acquiring the comp pick -- at No. 34 overall -- that went to the White Sox on Friday night in a trade with the Pirates, who were ultimately swayed by getting infielder Jacob Gonzalez to help their Major League team. The Royals would have loved to have No. 30 and 34, but they were still ecstatic about their five picks Saturday because of the talent, makeup and ability to impact the organization.

That’s especially true for their early college picks in Rose, Rabe and West Virginia lefty Maxx Yehl, all of whom have traits that could see them move quickly.

“Three college guys stood out [in] that they’re Major League players,” general manager J.J. Picollo said Saturday. “They have the talent, they have the makeup and they’re getting better as they’re getting into their early 20s. Growing into their mid-20s, they’re going to hit their stride pretty easily. … They’re mature guys that have the tools that we like along with the performance that we feel to move quickly through a system, the way our game is kind of working today. They have those attributes.”

Following Rose at No. 6, here’s who else the Royals selected on Day 1 of the MLB Draft:

Taylor Rabe, RHP

• Competitive Balance A, Pick 30
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Mississippi
• Calling Card: Rabe, ranked as the 40th Draft prospect on MLB Pipeline, has a big arm, with a fastball that averaged 96 mph and topped out at 100 mph this season. That power is intriguing enough, but pair it with the control that Rabe also possesses, and the ceiling rises even more. After beginning the year with Ole Miss as a piggyback reliever, Rabe forced his way into the rotation and ended the season as the Rebels’ No. 1 starter for their College World Series team. With 105 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 76 innings, Rabe’s 7.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranked fourth in NCAA Division I this spring. He also has a hard cutter, slider and changeup to round out his arsenal.
• Quote: “What stood out to me with Rabe was just -- it seems that there are guys that kind of flatten out. He just seems like he’s getting better and better and better, and as the year went on, he really pitched well and really took over that pitching staff. They had a couple of good arms on that staff. But by the end, he was throwing the ball better than anybody, maybe in the [SEC] altogether at the end.” -- Picollo

Jack Slightom, RHP

• Round 2, Pick 56
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Lyons Township (Ill.) HS
• Calling Card: If the Royals’ Draft is about upside, Slightom fits right into that. A projectable right-hander who was ranked as the No. 89 Draft prospect, Slightom is super athletic and was actually the quarterback for his high school team that made the state playoffs last fall. When baseball season rolled around, the Cincinnati recruit kept trending in the right direction, with his fastball jumping to the mid-90s. Slightom also has a slider and changeup, but he will need to work on his secondaries as he enters pro ball. And he should add some strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. Slightom was one of the fastest-rising prep arms as the spring played out, and the Royals jumped at the chance to get him early.

Maxx Yehl, LHP

• Round 3, Pick 91
• Bats/throws: L/L
• School: West Virginia
• Calling Card: After a college career that began as a reliever and took a pause with Tommy John surgery, Yehl returned to the mound in ‘26 as a part of the Mountaineers' rotation and helped them to the College World Series while earning Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors. Yehl excelled in a starting role largely because of his control, striking out batters at 27.9 percent clip and walking them at just a 6.5 percent rate. The 6-foot-6 lefty ranked 217th on Pipeline’s board, and he primarily works with a three-pitch mix that includes a fastball that touches 96 mph. His best secondary pitch is an average high-spin slider.
• Quote: “Talk about his makeup: Killer instinct. I think there’s a chance for him to start. I don’t make that decision. All I’m trying to do is acquire the talent. But he could come out of the ‘pen, and he’s not going to be fazed. He’s really a tough nut. Being left-handed from that angle can be very beneficial for us, for sure.” -- Bridges

Dominic Battista, OF

• Round 4, Pick 119
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Oswego East (Ill.) HS
• Calling Card: A speedy outfielder, Battista added strength and power into his left-handed swing as he rounded out his high school career. There’s room to add more, too, and tap into what could be above-average raw power because Battista makes hard, quality contact.
• Quote: “He’s a really good athlete. He went out at our Major League park to dead center field in batting practice. And to left of the batter’s eye in center field. I was like, ‘All right, kind of good. I’ll go with you guys [the area scouts] on this one.’ He’s a great kid. He’s got great makeup.” -- Bridges

More on the Royals' 2026 Draft:

• Royals take Louisville OF Rose with No. 6 pick, add Ole Miss RHP Rabe at No. 30
• Royals Draft tracker

The Royals wrapped their Draft on Sunday with 16 picks in Rounds 5-20, taking a mix of talent but focusing heavily on pitching. For an organization that is starting to develop pitchers well, it seems like they’re leaning into that strength.

“The more competition you have for innings, the pitchers either get better or fall by the wayside,” Bridges said. “I want to create competition on both sides of the ball. You can’t have enough pitching. I won’t sleep until these guys get all the way to Triple-A.”

Now the work begins on getting as many of them as possible signed and in Arizona to get their pro careers started.

Rounds 5-10
The Royals went heavy on pitching to start Day 2, taking five pitchers within their first six picks. Their one position player taken in this section was their highest-ranked Draft prospect selected on Day 2: shortstop Camden Johnson out of the Oklahoma team that won the College World Series this year. He was ranked No. 116 on MLB Pipeline’s Draft prospect list because of his speed, athleticism and line-drive approach.

Player to watch: Ethan McElvain, LHP

• Round 5, Pick 151
• Bats/throws: S/L
• School: Arkansas
• Calling Card: McElvain established himself as one of the top lefty relievers in the Draft with more success at Arkansas this past spring than Vanderbilt the previous two seasons. He posted a 1.88 ERA with a 34.4 percent strikeout rate and a drastically improved 8.1 percent walk rate with the Razorbacks, who had him rely heavily on his mid-90s fastball that touches 98 mph with good carry. He pairs that with a cutter, and there’s potential for a breaking ball in his arsenal as well. McElvain’s improved command has the Royals thinking he can pitch effectively out of the bullpen, and his stuff, mentality and presence on the mound could find him in a late-inning role.
• Quote: “Kicking [Day 2] off with McElvain and what he’s done as a left-handed reliever, he’s kind of elite in that league. I think he’s only given up two hits all year against left-handers. Just getting that kind of guy with his makeup and that mentality. Not to speak too soon, but I think [we’ll see him] sooner rather than later.” -- Bridges

Rounds 11-15
The Royals continued to stick with pitching but used the middle rounds here to grab two up-the-middle players in St. Mary’s outfielder Tanner Griffith and prep catcher Banks Wickersham out of Fort Dorchester (S.C.) HS.

Player to watch: Tanner Griffith, OF

• Round 11, Pick 329
• Bats/throws: L/R
• School: Saint Mary’s
• Calling Card: Griffith had a standout year for the Gaels, who made it to the NCAA Tournament this past spring. He slashed .342/.477/.545 in 62 games and performed well in the postseason, including going 3-for-3 with a run scored and a double in the NCAA Regional final against Cal Poly. Griffith is a toolsy hitter, and all 60 of his defensive appearances this past year were in center field -- so his athleticism certainly fits with what the Royals have targeted.

Rounds 16-20
The late rounds is where you start to see teams take some more chances on players who might have signability issues, and the Royals have leaned into the trend over the past couple of years -- often with success at getting the player into their organization. They’ll hope that’s the case again with righty Hudson DeVaughan, an Alabama commit who brings a lot of upside.

Player to watch: Hudson DeVaughan, RHP

• Round 19, Pick 569
• Bats/throws: R/R
• School: Mooresville (Ind.) HS
• Calling Card: The Royals made a splash here by taking DeVaughan, who was ranked 138th on Pipeline’s board. There’s middle-to-upper end rotation potential here with his projectable 6-foot-5 frame that should add strength -- and he’s already sitting 93-95 mph with his fastball that rides. He also has a cutter, two-seamer and a feel for two breaking balls that show some promise. DeVaughn dealt with injuries over the past year but emerged as one of the best prep arms out of the Midwest this Draft, and the Royals took a chance on him late. It sounds like DeVaugan is the one player they might be concerned about not being able to sign, but they’ll do everything they can to get him into pro ball.