KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals will make their highest selection in two years when the 2026 MLB Draft begins Saturday in Philadelphia.
Kansas City owns the sixth overall pick, its earliest selection since taking first baseman and outfielder Jac Caglianone at No. 6 in 2024. The Royals also hold the 30th overall selection in Competitive Balance Round A, giving the organization two of the first 30 picks.
The Royals are scheduled to make three selections within the first 60 picks and five before the end of the fourth round. Kansas City owns picks Nos. 6, 30, 56, 91 and 119 during Saturday’s opening day, which will include the first four rounds. Rounds five through 20 will be held Sunday.
The sixth pick carries an assigned value of $7.75 million, while Kansas City has a total bonus pool of approximately $15.95 million. That flexibility could allow the Royals to select the best available player at No. 6 or negotiate an underslot agreement and use the savings on later selections.
Kansas City has been connected to several prospects during the lead-up to the draft, including Florida high school shortstop Jacob Lombard, Florida prep left-hander Gio Rojas, Mississippi high school outfielder Eric Booth Jr., UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress.
Another possibility is Jared Grindlinger, a 17-year-old left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Huntington Beach High School in California. Grindlinger reclassified into the 2026 draft and has emerged as one of the class’s most intriguing two-way prospects.
The first five selections could significantly influence Kansas City’s decision. The Chicago White Sox own the top pick, followed by the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Royals could target a high-upside high school player who may require additional development time or select a more experienced college player with the potential to move through the minor leagues more quickly.
Kansas City’s recent first-round selections have included Caglianone, who quickly reached the major leagues after being selected out of Florida. However, the Royals enter this year’s draft needing to add depth throughout a farm system that has lacked impact prospects near the upper levels.
The Royals will conduct their draft operations from their spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona, rather than their traditional draft room at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City relocated its draft personnel because Argentina and Switzerland are scheduled to play a World Cup quarterfinal Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Royals transformed their major league spring training clubhouse into a temporary draft room for scouts, executives and other baseball operations personnel.
The opening 10 selections begin at noon Central time Saturday and will be televised on NBC and Peacock. Picks 11 through 40 will follow on MLB Network and MLB’s digital platforms, with the remainder of Saturday’s selections available through MLB’s streaming services.
Kansas City will then have 16 additional picks Sunday, beginning with the 151st overall selection in the fifth round and concluding with pick No. 589 in the 20th round.