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.
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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.
COMPLETE ROYALS PROSPECT COVERAGE
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.