Royals' 2026 first-rounder clanks first pro homer off the foul pole!
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Zion Rose is on the board.
The Royals’ No. 6 prospect swatted his first professional homer Saturday, headlining his 2-for-3 night at the plate in High-A Quad Cities' 8-5 win over Dayton at Day Air Ballpark. Rose’s performance marks already his fourth multihit game with the River Bandits.
Rose, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft who drilled 24 homers in three seasons at the University of Louisville, had gone 10 games without tallying a long ball. But after grounding out in the top of the first, the 21-year-old climbed back into the box to lead off the fourth. Laying off the first two pitches of the at-bat against right-hander JeanPierre Ortiz (Reds), Rose found himself in a 2-0 hitter's count.
Ortiz attempted to challenge Rose with a fastball on the outer third, but rather than get pull-happy, the outfielder flashed his 55-grade power and went with the pitch, sending a towering blast to right that rattled the very top of the foul pole for his first professional dinger.
Following the long ball, Rose’s night rolled along. In the fifth, he registered a sac fly, and two frames later, he showcased solid plate discipline by drawing a five-pitch walk against left-hander Jacob Edwards. To tie a bow around his best night yet as a pro, the outfielder won a six-pitch battle in the ninth against righty Jordan Little, rocketing a 3-2 fastball into right for a single.
While Rose has a reputation for generating impressive bat speed and producing eye-popping exit velocities, he also sports an above-average 55-grade hit tool and advanced bat-to-ball skills. During his final season at Louisville, Rose struck out just 8.7 percent of the time, one of the best marks across Division I. In a limited sample size on the High-A circuit, Rose sports a solid contact rate and a impressive 15.4 percent walk rate.