From MLB Develops to MLB Draft: Zion Rose could be a first-round pick

As a 13-year-old, Zion Rose attended the Elite Development Invitational at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., a youth showcase under the MLB Develops banner. Current big leaguers Michael Harris II, Justin Crawford and Nasim Nuñez joined him as participants in 2018, while 17-year big league veteran Eric Davis and five-time World Series champion Willie Randolph served as coaches.

From there, it’s been full steam ahead.

Rose went on to participate in seven additional keystone Develops events over the next five years, becoming one of the faces of the program.

“It allowed me to become comfortable in situations with new people, being away from home,” said Rose of his time with Develops. “It allowed me to learn so much from so many different people -- just be a sponge, learn as much as I can in the game of baseball. I think they opened up so many doors for me when it came to different events, when it came to word of mouth [about my game].

“Genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, I thank everybody from Develops -- anyone who was a part of it, whether it be those who picked us up from the airport, those serving us food at the cafeteria, those at the facilities, all the coaches, especially. They’ve truly helped me be where I am today.”

Three years ago, Rose attended the Draft Combine shortly after finishing his high school career at IMG Academy in Florida, where he spent his senior season after moving from Chicago. He ranked as the No. 144 prospect in his class, but was strongly committed to Louisville, which led to him going undrafted.

But back at Chase Field in late June for the '26 Combine, Rose, now the No. 30 Draft prospect, is a more advanced player -- and person -- from the 18-year-old that took part in the event the first time around.

He cited many of his coaches at Louisville for being instrumental in helping him grow both on the field, winning Freshman All-American honors in 2024 and All-ACC first-team accolades in ‘25, but away from it as well.

“He's an absolute ball player,” said Giants 2025 first-round pick Gavin Kilen, who played alongside Rose both at Louisville and in the Cape Cod League in ‘24. “Even when he first got there as a freshman, you could just tell there was a type of edge, there was a type of maturity level that he had and he knew what worked for him and his body and how to get himself ready to play every day.

“He’s very competitive and you can see it in his nature and the way he plays and how much he wants to be out there. The excitement and emotion that he brings to the game -- he just brings a lot of win factors.”

That competitiveness stems from the fact that Rose grew up with two older brothers -- Cyress and Jahari -- who “never let me win.” Zion was constantly around, competing with his siblings and their friends in everything from video games to basketball, using that environment to breed his want factor.

It wasn’t until a shoulder injury sidelined Rose for seven months during his sophomore year of high school that he realized how much he loved the game.

“I realized I was taking the game for granted,” he said.

After spending years under the tutelage of former big league coaches and players, not giving baseball his full effort wasn’t an option. He looks back now at the Develops program and sees how much was poured into him, wanting the next wave of ballplayers behind him to see how beneficial it can be in the long run.

“Embrace it, don’t take it for granted,” said Rose. “Be grateful for the position you’re in. A lot of kids would love to be in that position. Just realize the greats that are around you. These guys that are around you will be your friends forever – I still talk to a lot of these dudes that I played with at Hank Aaron [Invitational]. Embrace the relationships, embrace the knowledge that they have to offer. It goes by quick. Enjoy it all.”

Growing up, Rose was a catcher. He wore the label -- literally -- on his chest. He loved both the constant involvement in the game that the position provided, along with the ability to connect with a pitcher one-on-one. But gifted with premium athleticism that has only increased over his three years at Louisville, he’s taken full-time to the outfield, which has allowed his offensive upside to play up. He was limited by ankle and hamstring injuries during 2026, but he finished the season slashing .417/.491/.646 with 47 RBIs in 36 games.

Rose is presently seen by evaluators as an above-average hitter whose power from the right-handed box plays to all fields. Evidenced by his 55 steals (on 61 attempts) over his final two years in college, he can really scoot on the basepaths as well. He’s gone from being a self-described “sponge” of those around him to an impact player.

But he’s not done developing yet. Rose remains ready for what comes next:

“Working on that process of coming up to the Major Leagues, working on winning the World Series, working on giving back -- everything," said Rose. I’m just ready to enjoy the process day by day.”