Royals select Zion Rose in First Round of 2026 MLB Draft

The Louisville outfielder was one of the best players in college baseball this past season.

Louisville baseball outfielder Zion Rose | University of Louisville Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Zion Rose didn't have to wait very long to come off the board.

The Louisville outfielder has been selected by the Kansas City Royals with the No. 6 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Rose is the 11th player in program history to be drafted in the first round, and is the highest Cardinal to be selected in the MLB Draft since Henry Davis went No. 1 overall in 2021. He's also the first Card to be taken in this year's draft, and is Dan McDonnell's 112th MLB Draft selection in his 20 years as the head coach at UofL.

Despite missing roughly the first month of the season due to an ankle injury, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound outfielder didn't skip a beat when he returned to action. In just 36 games and 35 starts, he slashed .417/.491/.646 and collected six homers, 47 RBIs, 13 doubles, a triple, 19 walks and 24 stolen bases. His 1.137 OPS was second on the team only to Dick Howser Trophy finalist Tague Davis, earning First-Team All-ACC and Perfect Game Second-Team All-American honors

A native of Chicago, Rose was the No. 75 prospect in the Class of 2023, and made an immediate impact right out of the gates for Louisville. During the 2024 season as a true freshman, he slashed .380/.455/.584 with five home runs, 32 RBIs, nine doubles, five triples, 19 walks and 10 stolen bases in 44 games. As expected, he was named a First-Team Freshman All-American.

The next season as a sophomore, Rose further elevated his game. resulting in him being named First-Team All-ACC. Starting all 66 games that season, he slashed .310/.396/.552 with 13 homers, a team-best 67 RBIs, 16 doubles, three triples, 31 walks and 31 stolen bases.

Should he sign with the Royals, the sixth overall pick has a slot value of $7,746,100. He would finish his Louisville career with a .358/.438/.585 slash line, 24 home runs, 146 RBIs, 38 doubles, nine triples, 69 walks, 19 hit-by-pitches, 65 stolen bases and 150 runs scored in 146 games and 144 starts.

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(Photo of Zion Rose via University of Louisville Athletics)