The Royals spent the back half of the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft leaning hard into upside, adding two high school arms and a high school bat after opening with Zion Rose at No. 6 and Taylor Rabe at No. 30.
Kansas City’s next move came at No. 56, where it took Jack Slightom, a right-handed pitcher from Lyons Township High School in the Chicago area. Slightom entered the draft as a projectable arm with helium, landing at No. 89 on MLB’s board and No. 60 on ESPN’s. The Athletic and Fangraphs both left him outside their top 100.
Fangraphs described Slightom as “This year’s Midwest pop-up arm,” noting that the Cincinnati commit saw his fastball jump from the upper 80s to the mid-90s over the past year. The site also pointed to his 6-foot-5 frame, his tailing fastball, changeup and lateral slider, while flagging inconsistent mechanics and questions about how well the fastball will play.
MLB.com said Slightom worked at 88-91 mph as a junior, touched 95 at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October and has reached 98 this spring. MLB.com also said his 77-81 mph slider needs more power and consistency, though his changeup shows some promise.
He uses a side-step delivery and low arm slot, and with added strength could develop an upper-90s heater and a mid-80s slider.
With the 91st pick, the Royals added another pitcher in Maxx Yehl, a left-hander from the University of West Virginia. Yehl put together a strong season in the Big 12, striking out 27.9% of batters while posting a 2.13 ERA and walking just 6.5%.
MLB ranked him 217th, while ESPN had him 161st. His college path was affected by Tommy John surgery.
Fangraphs called Yehl a deceptive arm who attacks from a three-quarters slot and uses a heavy crossfire delivery to make hitters uncomfortable, especially lefties. The report said his fastball has above-average to plus carry and that he missed bats up in the zone, while his slider works mostly horizontally and can be used to get to the back foot against righties or run off left-handed barrels.
Fangraphs also said he’ll likely need a changeup to start, but still viewed him as an intriguing early-round flier with a chance to become a backend starter. MLB.com said the 6-foot-6 lefty has shown 96-97 mph velocity, especially early in the season, and that fatigue late in the year was understandable given he was just a year removed from elbow surgery.
MLB.com added that his slider flashes above average, his changeup could become solid with development, and his fastball-slider mix could fit in a bullpen if starting doesn’t take.
Kansas City finished the day at No. 119 with Dominic Battista, an outfielder from Oswego East High School and the club’s first high school hitter of the draft. Battista’s school is about 30 miles southwest of Slightom’s. ESPN ranked him 119th overall, while the other outlets left him outside their top 250.
Battista brings left-handed power and speed. The Prospect Porch said his raw pop showed up at the Super 60, where he posted a 108.5 mph max exit velocity and a 104.1 average mark.
That max exit velocity ranked fourth at the event, despite two of the players ahead of him weighing more than 220 pounds. The report also praised his running ability, plus arm strength and a profile that some believe could fit in center field long term.
The concern is the hit tool. Battista struck out in 22 of his 81 plate appearances during his junior spring and hit .242, though those issues appeared to improve in summer play.
Even so, the report said his left-handed swing looks “hitterish.”
In Other News...
Royals Just Took A High-Upside Arm With One Big Catch
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Kansas City is clearly willing to live with some risk to chase upside, and Rabe fits that mold. The appeal is obvious enough: a power arm with enough polish to project beyond the bullpen conversation, even if the path to getting there comes with some uncertainty attached. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Shocker At No 6 Has Fans Debating Reach Or Masterstroke
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Kansas City is also betting on projection here, because Roses game is still coming together after a recent move from catcher to the outfield. If the Royals are right about the bat and the athleticism, the pick could do more than just define the top of their draft class, it could also give them the kind of flexibility that shapes the rest of the board as they look ahead to their next selections. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Road Frustration Now Comes With A New Maikel Garcia Twist
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There was at least some fight in the lineup, with Kansas City tying the game twice before the Orioles answered back for good in the eighth. The bigger long-view note for the Royals, though, is Maikel Garcia, who remains on the injured list and is expected to begin hitting again during the All-Star break, a small but important step as the club waits to see how quickly one of its key infield pieces can get back into the mix. [Read more 🡒]