It didn’t take long for Kansas City Royals first-round MLB Draft selection Zion Rose to endear himself to the organization and the local media.
Rose arrived at Kauffman Stadium in style on Saturday, accompanied by family and friends. The group made the short trip from Chicago for the special moment.
In his first official statement, Rose sought to confirm all assumptions about his character: The Royals have found a future leader for their major-league clubhouse.
“This is what makes me,” Rose said looking around at friends and loved ones. “I’m so grateful for my support system, my family, and this is not even everybody, for real.
“This is what we could bring, but man, it runs deep. We got a lot of love, especially coming from Chicago, man. They just love, love, love, and without them, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
Rose was selected sixth overall by Kansas City after starring at the University of Louisville. He was lauded for his elite tools as a hitter. In 36 games this season, he batted .417 with six homers and 47 RBIs.
The Royals were impressed. They had watched Rose since high school — he starred at Brother Rice High, and later IMG Academy.
There were comparisons to multiple players. But, Rose was commonly linked to former two-time All-Star Ron Gant.
To which Rose replied: “He must be great.”
There was immediate laughter in the room. Rose, 21, wasn’t born when Gant concluded his 16-year career in 2003. However, baseball has a way to draw parallels between talented players and Gant is the perfect facsimile.
Gant had a .803 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in his career. He could hit for power — as evident with seven seasons of 25 or more homers — and thrived on the basepaths.
Rose has similar characteristics. The biggest comparison is that both Rose and Gant competed in the batter’s box. They don’t give away outs and that’s what Royals hope translates as Rose gets acclimated to professional baseball.
“I hate losing and I hate losing against people,” Rose said. “And I feel like, in this game, everything is a competition. You know, it’s so great because it’s a team game, but in the box it’s one on one. So it’s me versus the pitcher. You know, I could care less who’s up there and that’s the great part about it.
“Like I’m trying to beat you every time. If you get me, that’s cool. I’m coming back the next time and get you.”
The Royals signed Rose with significant compensation. He received a $5,809,575 signing bonus, a source confirmed to The Star.
It’s expected the Royals will sign the remainder of their 2026 MLB Draft class next week. And from there, they will all meet in Surprise, Arizona before beginning rookie ball (the Arizona Complex League) in the upcoming days.
Rose will get his opportunity to hit the field. And Royals scouting director Brian Bridges is excited to watch him on the next stage.
“You have to have a belief in the person before you do the talent,” Bridges said. “Because I’ve done it. I’ve done it 26 years. … It’s all about the person. He’s an 80-grade person on a 20-80 scale. He cares, he is a winner and he wants to win.”
Rose credits his competitiveness to being a two-sport athlete. He played football growing up and decided to pursue baseball as a teenager. His path began as a catcher before making the switch to the outfield.
The ability to play both sports built his confidence. And he still brings his football mentality to the field each day.
“I have no fear again,” Rose said. “Only person I fear is the Lord. So it doesn’t matter who you are, in a good way, and not a disrespectful way. But you know, if I say something to you, it’s not to be disrespectful or anything like that. I just want the best out of you.”
The Royals welcomed Rose with a nice rollout at Kauffman Stadium. He met with multiple players and got a chance to see his name on the Crown Vision scoreboard.
Now, he joins an elite group of former top draft picks. He acknowledged wanting to learn from the likes of Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen among others.
“I’m grateful to be in this position,” Rose said. “I’m grateful to be with an organization that cares about their players, cares about their development, cares about the team and the city that’s back for their team. And, I’m excited to get going.”
Rose was one of 21 draft selections in the Royals’ class. The club decided to add multiple pitchers and position players across the two-day event last weekend.
And if it all pans out, Rose could be knocking on the door in Kansas City sooner than expected.
“He’s really got a chance to be a complete baseball player,” Bridges said.
The Kansas City Star
Jaylon Thompson covers the Royals for The Kansas City Star. He previously covered the 2021 World Series and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.kansascity.com ’
