Signed 1st-rd. pick Rose on comp to All-Star Gant: 'He must be great'

KANSAS CITY -- The Royals selected outfielder Zion Rose with the No. 6 pick in the MLB Draft a week ago, and they welcomed him to Kauffman Stadium on Saturday for his signing ceremony and introduction to Kansas City, which has already made an impact on him.

The barbecue? Outstanding. The city itself? Very nice. The Royals fans who packed The K on Friday night to watch a wild walk-off win against the Padres? They were “loving the game,” he said.

And the organization he’ll now be a part of as he gets his pro career started?

“I’m grateful to be here, with an organization that cares about their players, cares about their development, cares about the team,” Rose said. “A city that backs their team. I’m excited to get going.”

Surrounded by his family, including his grandparents, parents and older brothers, Rose took in the sights on Saturday, signing his first contract, meeting with media and then meeting a few current Royals as they took batting practice. Rose will head to Arizona on Sunday, the first step toward getting back to Kauffman Stadium one day to help this team rather than watch it.

Rose’s signing bonus was $5,809,574, sources told MLB.com, coming below the $7,746,100 slot value for the No. 6 pick. The under-slot deal was expected when the Royals selected Rose, allowing the club to use a little more of their $15,954,000 bonus pool to help sign Mississippi righty Taylor Rabe (pick No. 30) and second-round prep righty Jack Slightom. The Royals are in the process of getting the entire class signed and their physicals passed ahead of the July 27 deadline.

It was clear on Saturday that Rose’s selection was about so much more than the finances and logistics of the MLB Draft. This is a hitter the Royals believe in, and have believed in, for a while.

“The first time I saw Zion was freshman year fall practice,” area scout Nick Hamilton said. “I was handed a roster, and I saw him taking BP as I was being handed that roster. Eric Snider, the hitting coach at Louisville, pointed him out right away and said, ‘That’s your guy.’”

Rose finished his collegiate career with a .385/.438/.585 slash line across 146 games, recording as many walks (69) as strikeouts (69). Limited in 2026 by ankle and hamstring injuries, Rose only played 36 games, but he still posted a .417/.491/.646 slash line with 13 doubles, six home runs and more walks (19) than strikeouts (15). He also swiped 24 bases in 27 chances.

“He’s really got a chance to be a complete baseball player,” scouting director Brian Bridges said.

According to evaluators, Rose could be an above-average hitter with an efficient right-handed swing that displays strength to all fields. MLB Pipeline’s No. 30 Draft prospect, Rose has some untapped power, something the Royals are hoping to unlock in the Minors. He’s an above-average runner, which helps him in the outfield, and his elite athleticism helps him all over the field.

“There’s a little Ron Gant to [the swing],” Bridges said, before turning to Rose. “You ever heard that? Got a little Ron Gant to your swing? Do you even know who Ron Gant is?”

Rose, who was born two years after the two-time All-Star finished his 16-year big league career in 2003, couldn’t recall.

“He must be great,” Rose said with a grin.

The light-hearted exchange was a good example of Rose’s mentality, an assured confidence in himself without an oversize ego. He’s had to work hard to get here, and he’s well aware that the work is only just beginning. He’s advanced enough that he could move through the system quickly, but he has his work cut out for him with plenty to learn.

But that work ethic is another reason why the Royals were drawn to him. A two-time captain at Louisville, Rose has been lauded for his leadership skills and competitiveness.

He’s a former football player who still brings that mentality to the diamond, and he’s a former catcher who needed to move to the outfield because he was too athletic to be behind the plate. But the traits have stuck with him, and he uses them to his advantage.

“I’m not trying to be a captain -- I couldn’t care less for that title,” he said. “It’s more of, I just want to win, and I try to get the best out of everybody around me. I believe it’s OK to push people as long as you want the best out of them. I’ve always been like that.”

The Royals hope he stays like that, too, all the way until he’s back here in Kansas City.