The Royals kept leaning into youth on Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft, using their fourth-round pick on another high-school bat with upside.
Kansas City selected center fielder Dominic Battista at No. 119 on Saturday afternoon, adding the Oswego East High School standout out of Oswego, Illinois, to a draft class that already featured several prep players.
Battista’s senior season got off to a delayed start after a broken hamate bone knocked him out for 13 games, and he finished with a .242 batting average in 24 games in 2026. Even with that limited production, evaluators around the game see a player with a real path forward. He’s still developing as a hitter, but his speed and defensive feel give him a foundation, and there’s belief he could add more power from the left side as he matures physically.
Kansas City will now work to sign Battista in the coming weeks. He is committed to the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Battista also showed up in a Prep Baseball Illinois post from May 6, 2026, after driving in two runs with a double for Oswego East.
The Royals’ draft board on Saturday was heavy on high school talent. Earlier in the day, they picked Zion Rose at No.
6, Taylor Rabe at No. 30, Jack Slightom at No. 56 and Maxx Yehl at No.
- That approach fits a recent trend for the organization, which also took Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond early in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Both have handled the jump to pro ball well in recent months.
Battista looks like the same kind of bet: a developmental prospect who may need time in the lower levels of the minors before he starts turning heads. If it all clicks, he could become a name to watch over the next three to four years.
Kansas City still has 16 picks left on Sunday, when rounds 5 through 20 wrap up the 2026 MLB Draft.
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