2026 MLB Mock Draft: With The 6th Pick, The Royals Draft A Fast-Rising Prep Outfielder

[Jamie Cameron]

Image courtesy of © Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I take MLB mock draft rankings from major industry outlets like MLB Pipeline, ESPN, The Athletic (and many others) to form a consensus board, with a working hypothesis that using this approach will eliminate some of the noise and variance in MLB Draft mock rankings.

The Kansas City Royals’ first picks are:

• Round 1: 6th Overall
• Competitive Balance Round A: 30th Overall
• Round 2: 56th Overall
• Round 3: 91st Overall

Round 1: EJ Booth, OF, Oak Grove HS (MS)

Booth is rapidly ascending draft boards. Starting from a pre-cycle ranking close to the back end of the first round, he has a chance to jump into the top three prep prospects and the top five of the cycle overall.

Booth is a compact, twitchy, athletic outfielder committed to Vanderbilt. It's a bit of an unconventional swing from the left side that can look better in batting practice than games, but it's underpinned by serious bat speed and an emerging ability to do damage on contact. All told, Booth has a chance to have above-average hit and power tools.

Booth is a nightmare on the base paths with 70-grade speed and is one of the fastest runners of the class. As one might imagine, this supports an excellent range in the outfield. While his arm is fringe average, he should have little challenge tracking down almost anything and could settle into any outfield spot defensively. Booth will turn 18 a few days before the draft.

Competitive Balance Round A: Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas

Robbins is representative of an emerging class of college prospects: smaller school players who transfer their draft-eligible year with a shot to dramatically increase their stock against more robust competition. Robbins put up insane numbers in 2025 at Seton Hall before transferring to UT ahead of the 2026 season.

While the bat-to-ball numbers have taken a bit of a dip in 2026, Robbins has a good approach at the plate, taking plenty of walks. Where he excels, is doing damage on contact. Robbins routinely launches baseballs north of 110 mph and has EV90 and barrel% numbers north of the 90th percentile in 2026. There's above-average speed and athleticism to boot. Robbins has the legs to be a threat on the basepaths and the range to play all three outfield positions, at least at the onset of his pro career.

He's one of the sharpest risers on the college side in 2026, managing a .333/.426/.696 line with 24 home runs (36 XBH), a 13.7 BB%, a 22.9 K%, and a 138 wRC+.

Round 2: Landon Thome, 2B/3B, Nazareth Academy HS (IL)

Landon Thome is the son of MLB Hall of Famer Jim Thome, who is currently an assistant coach with his son's Illinois high school team. Thome the younger is committed to Florida State.

Landon sets up in the box in a relaxed, open stance. A shoulder-high hand set gives way to a smooth, loose swing. Thome has a chance to have above-average hit and power tools when it's all said and done. Right now, it's a hit over power profile, with strong bat-to-ball metrics, even as he has tapped into more pull-side power in the last 12 months.

Thome's eventual defensive home is unclear. He has good defensive actions, but a fringy arm and lack of lateral quickness mean he will likely move off shortstop. Second base seems a likely long-term home. While the secondary tools aren't the loudest, Thome has a great feel to hit with the promise of additional power on the way. That's what I'd always prioritize in a prep hitter. He'll likely go in the first two rounds.

Round 3: Ethan Wachsmann, RHP, Grandview HS (CO)

Wachsman is a sharp riser on draft boards this spring. A CO prep arm hailing from the same high school program as Kevin Gausman, it's a fascinating blend of size and stuff, with plenty of rawness still present.

Wachsman's fastball has touched triple digits already; it'll more routinely sit in the 94-96 mph range in the middle innings. He's added a cutter that sits in the high 80s this season as a bridge to the rest of his arsenal. While the velocity is excellent, there's work to do on both the control and command of his arsenal, which are currently fringe-average.

Wachsman will fire off a breaking ball that can be slurvy but exhibits good spin rates. There's a changeup that he sells well with good arm speed and velocity separation from his fastball. It'll be worth monitoring the strike-throwing if a team can pry him away from his Wake Forest commitment, but if he can round out his arsenal with better breaking pitch shapes, he'll be a tough look for hitters.

Curious to see the players around the Kansas City Royals' picks in the draft? Click on the button below to view the entire mock draft board!

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