The Kansas City Royals are heading into the 2026 MLB Draft with real ammunition, and the headliner is impossible to miss: pick No. 6 overall.
That selection gives Kansas City its highest draft slot since it took Jac Caglianone in the 2024 MLB Draft, a move that brought fairly quick rewards. The Royals also picked up a Competitive Balance Round A choice, giving them a little extra juice near the top of the board. With the franchise dealing with a clear downward spiral this season and a thin crop of upper-level prospects, this draft matters.
Here’s the full list of picks Kansas City owns, from the first round through Round 20:
6th (Round 1)
30th (Competitive Balance Round A)
56th (Round 2)
91st (Round 3)
119th (Round 4)
151st (Round 5)
170th (Round 6)
199th (Round 7)
229th (Round 8)
259th (Round 9)
289th (Round 10)
319th (Round 11)
349th (Round 12)
379th (Round 13)
409th (Round 14)
439th (Round 15)
469th (Round 16)
499th (Round 17)
529th (Round 18)
559th (Round 19)
589th (Round 20)
The first-rounder is the one everyone will be watching, but Kansas City’s draft position gives it more than one way to attack the board. Three picks inside the top 60 and five before No. 120 create room for the Royals to chase upside early and still collect safer, more polished talent as the draft rolls on.
What they’ll actually do with those picks is still up in the air. The chatter has ranged from prep position players to college pitchers, with slot and underslot possibilities mixed into the conversation. Baseball America reported the Royals could be in position to target a quicker-moving player, but the real answer may not come until the first five picks are off the board and the draft starts to take shape.
In Other News...
Royals Just Became Part Of A Surprising Mets Deadline Twist
A game against the Royals ended up carrying bigger deadline ripple effects for the Mets than anyone expected. Mark Vientos was hit by a pitch on July 9 and the injury now leaves New York dealing with a lineup hole at a time when the club was already weighing whether to move him before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
For Kansas City, the immediate result was just another tense moment in a midseason series, but the broader impact now reaches into New Yorks roster math. The Mets, sitting at 40-54 and well back in the National League Wild Card race, suddenly have a harder decision to make with a player they had considered as a possible trade chip, and the timing of any move has become far less straightforward. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Finally Get A Much Needed Lineup Boost Friday
After spending time at Triple-A Omaha, Vinnie Pasquantino is close to giving the Royals the kind of lineup jolt they have been waiting for. Manager Matt Quatraro said the first baseman is nearing a return from a right-hamate fracture, and his comeback should give Kansas City a more settled look in the middle of the order while also restoring some defensive flexibility.
Pasquantinos return would likely send Jac Caglianone back to right field after covering first base in his absence, a move the Royals have been anticipating as they try to piece together the lineup. There is also a broader injury picture to monitor, with Maikel Garcia and Kyle Isbel both working their way back and possibly helping in the coming weeks, which could make the roster look a lot deeper before long. [Read more 🡒]