Kansas City Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The Kansas City Royals announced today that they have signed 19 of the 21 selections made in the 2026 First-Year Player Draft, including all picks from Rounds 1-18. The Royals have also agreed to terms with three undrafted free agents, including right-handed pitcher Jackson Cleveland, outfielder Jimmy Nati and infielder Ben North.
“I really like how athletic these guys are and how well the 2026 class has come together out in Arizona in such a short period of time,” said Royals Amateur Scouting Director Brian Bridges.
Cleveland, 23, spent his senior year this season at the University of Oklahoma, where he logged 42 strikeouts over 40.2 innings in 26 appearances. At Oklahoma, he was teammates with 2026 Royals draftee Camden Johnson (9th Round), while helping the Sooners capture the National Championship, posting scoreless outings in each of his final 4 appearances of the NCAA Tournament (7.1 innings).
Nati, 23, played in parts of four seasons at Stanford University, slashing .278/.351/.499 (173-for-623) with 32 HR in 174 games. A native of Sydney, Australia, he is longtime friends with 2024 1st-overall pick Travis Bazzana of the Cleveland Guardians, as the two played baseball together growing up.
North, 23, spent the last five seasons at Creighton University, and as a senior this year, he slashed .319/.442/.556 (69-for-216) with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 11 HR and 44 RBI in 57 games. He led the Bluejays in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, doubles and hits (tied), and was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, which annually recognizes the nation’s top shortstop.
