Royals’ lone undrafted free agent decision combines both skill and hometown vibes

The 2026 MLB Draft has come and gone and Kansas City Royals fans have been left with a lot to palate. Some of their picks were certainly strong such as their selection of Taylor Rabe at pick No. 30 or their run of talented college prospects at the beginning of Day 2. However, they also had their fair share of questionable picks, most notably their sizable reach down for Zion Rose at pick No. 6.

However, farm systems aren’t filled out by just the 20-rounds of the draft. Another way is finding those names that slipped through the cracks of the draft and remain free agents ready and eager to start their pro careers. The Royals have only signed one undrafted free agent to this point, but there’s plenty to like about their lone deal.

On Monday, the Royals signed infielder Ben North from nearby Creighton University to a free agent deal.

While it may not be the hometown feel to Kansas City per se, there’s no denying that Omaha holds strong place in the Royals organization as the home of their Triple-A affiliate, giving this deal that feel-good midwestern vibe. Between current Royals like Isaac Collins, current prospects like Nolan Sailors and former Royals like Nicky Lopez, the history between the Kansas City Royals and Creighton is rather rich.

And more importantly, from an on-field standpoint, the signing of North is certainly a boost to the Royals system. In his senior year, the 23-year-old stood out for the Blue Jays at the dish, slashing .319/.442/.556 with 11 homers, 44 RBI and 26 steals.

Royals upper minors ranks could use a mature infield prospect like Ben North

The Royals drafted just one infielder in the entirety of the draft in Camden Johnson in round nine. However, the Royals have had depth issues all season and one area has been their infield depth in the upper minors.

Triple-A Omaha has been cobbled together with a band of former MLB veterans in Josh Rojas, Kevin Newman, Chris Drury, Abraham Toro and Connor Kaiser. If it weren’t for Peyton Wilson and another former undrafted free-agent in Brett Squires, it would entirely be a who’s who of late 2010s and early 2020s.

Then, looking further down at their higher profile prospects, Daniel Vazquez is their only Top 30 prospect that’s occupies the infield at Double-A or higher. And this season has been far from great for the Arizona Fall League standout. With the Naturals, he’s slashing just .243/.313/.319 with a 68 wRC+, a far cry from his .329 AVG and .928 OPS in Surprise this fall.

With the Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia occupying the left-side of the infield at the major league level for the foreseeable future, the Royals’ needs at shortstop and third base aren’t pressing. However, between consistent second base uncertainty and thin bench depth, adding names like North to the farm is a refreshing sight.

Now, this isn’t to say that North should be expected to be in the major leagues anytime soon and this isn’t meant to be an argument to day he will be there. Baseball is one of the most uncertain sports and undrafted free-agents carry a ton of professional uncertainty.

However, he’s going to be 24-years-old next season and showed a strong knack for hitting at the collegiate level. At the very least, he’s a strong profile to add to the system.