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Kansas City Royals scouting director Brian Bridges stood firm with his first-round decision in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft.<\/p>\n
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On Saturday, the Royals selected Louisville Cardinals outfielder Zion Rose with the No. 6 overall selection<\/a>. The pick raised some eyebrows because higher-rated outfielders were available.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bridges believes Rose has special tools. He likes Rose\u2019s intangibles and physical makeup, which has drawn comparisons to a longtime MLB All-Star.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRon Gant came up …\u201d Bridges said. \u201cThere was another one that was thrown around the room, but Ron Gant seems to stand out more than any of the others.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals would love to see Rose mimic the productivity of Gant\u2019s lengthy career. The latter spent 16 big-league seasons with eight different teams, belting 321 home runs and winning a Silver Slugger Award in 1991.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rose hit .417 with six home runs and 47 RBIs in college this past season. He played with a few injuries \u2014 most notably a hamstring strain and ankle sprain \u2014 for Louisville of the Atlantic Coast Conference.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bridges indicated Rose has more layers to his game. His competitiveness stood out when the Royals first met with him. And his ability to lead \u2014 as a former catcher \u2014 also carried a lot of weight in the team\u2019s decision to pick him sixth overall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a winner,\u201d Bridges said, \u201cand he\u2019s a warrior. He\u2019ll give you everything he\u2019s got.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals remained aggressive as Saturday played out. They also selected Mississippi pitcher Taylor Rabe (No. 30)<\/a>, high school pitcher Jack Slightom (No. 56)<\/a>, West Virginia pitcher Maxx Yehl (No. 91)<\/a> and prep outfielder Dominic Battista (No. 119)<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Bridges hinted that Rose would sign an under-slot deal. The Royals entered this year\u2019s two-day selection process with $15,954,000 in bonus-pool money<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, there was some influence there,\u201d Bridges said. \u201cI mean, to be honest with you, I was trying to be bullish in some other spots, too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teams allocate funds for each draft selection. A value is assigned to picks in the first 10 rounds. If a club goes under slot, or under the approximated value of that particular spot in the draft order, it can potentially offer more money to a later draftee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s possible the Royals did this on Saturday. And that it led to the organization subsequently acquiring Rabe, Slightom, Yehl and Battista.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to be aggressive and staying within our pool of money,\u201d Bridges said. \u201cWe are capable of going outside that, but there\u2019s no need. We have enough money to try to move it around and make some better selections.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals are excited about their new pitching trio. Rabe has an electric fastball that averages 96 mph and can touch triple digits. He was a dynamic starter for Ole Miss.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rabe will pound the strike zone<\/a> with control. He posted a 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which ranked fourth in the nation. In 76 innings, he registered 105 strikeouts and just 15 walks while compiling a 3.55 ERA.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you hear conviction in the room, I can just \u2018star\u2019 the guys that I know the room wants …\u201d Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. \u201cIt was really clear that we wanted both of these guys (Rabe and Rose), and we\u2019d be really happy with their selection.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat stood out to me with Rabe was it just seems like there\u2019s guys that kind of flatten out. He just seems like he is getting better and better. And as the year went on, he really pitched well and really took over that pitching staff.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n