Royals Continue Pitching Heavy Draft with Some Major Upside: Rounds 11-20 In 2026 MLB Draft

[Cory Moen]

Image courtesy of © Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here is a look at all of the Royals' draft picks from rounds 11-20 in the 2026 MLB draft. While these prospects may not require top dollar like some of the day one picks might, there is still plenty of potential, and it will be interesting to see if these players can be contributors at the major league level one day. 

Round 11 (329th overall):  Tanner Griffith, OF, Saint Mary’s 

Griffith, a left-handed hitting outfielder, played three years at Saint Mary’s, where he hit .300/.450/.437. This past year, he hit at an even better rate, with a 1.022 OPS, and he hit five home runs. He hit three in his first two years of college. He’s also shown the ability to steal some bases as well, stealing 43 bases over his three years at Saint Mary’s.

He announced that he transferred to TCU, but the Royals will look to get him to start his professional career and forgo his final year of eligibility. Griffith will add to the outfield depth, as he played all three outfield positions while in college. 

Saint Mary's Baseball (@smcbaseball) • Instagram photos and videos

WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM

---

561 likes, 6 comments - smcbaseball on March 21, 2026: "Griffith to the moon ??➡️ #GaelsRise".

Round 12 (359th overall): Lance Hartley, RHP, College of Central Florida

Hartley pitched at the College of Central Florida, where he pitched in five games, giving up six earned runs over 16 innings pitched while recording 22 strikeouts. He previously committed to play next year at the University of South Carolina, which was one of two division one offers he had after this past year. 

He pitched in the 2024 MLB Draft League. He throws a mid-90s fastball and a low-80s slider. He also throws a changeup and a curveball.

Unfortunately, he is currently rehabbing for Tommy John and has reopened his recruitment, so the Royals will look to have him pitch starting in 2026 at the professional level instead. 

Round 13 (389th overall): Dalton Hill, RHP, Nicholls St

Hill pitched out of the bullpen at Nicholls St this past season, appearing in 17 games, throwing 20 innings, recording 19 strikeouts, and giving up only three runs. In 2025, he had less success in the rotation, pitching in 15 games with 10 starts. Hill previously pitched at Northeast Texas Community College prior to the last two years at Nicholls State. 

Hill has a lot of emotion on the mound as well, which makes for a fun player to watch.

Round 14 (419th overall): Banks Wickhersham, C, Fort Dorchester HS (South Carolina)

Listed as a catcher, Wickersham has played all over the diamond, including some time on the mound. He has thrown in the mid-90s on the mound. He also played quarterback for his high school football team. He is committed to playing collegiately at the College of Charleston. 

Here is a look at how he approaches his work as a player:

Round 15 (449th overall): Madden Clement, LHP, Virginia Tech

Clement, son of former MLB pitcher Matt Clement, played for the Hokies for three years, where he pitched both in the rotation and as a reliever. In 2026, he pitched in eight games, five starts, and threw 13 ⅔ innings while striking out 13, walking nine, and giving up six earned runs. He missed most of the season with an arm injury, which is never a great sign for a pitcher.  

He pitched this summer in the Cape Cod League, where he pitched 12 ⅓ innings over four appearances. While the 6.57 ERA might not look great, he struck out 18 batters in that time, so he showed the ability to strike hitters out on the Cape. 

Round 16 (479th overall): Dylan Alonso, RHP, Troy University 

Alonso pitched this past year with Troy, mostly out of the bullpen. He threw 49 ⅓ innings and struck out 60 hitters over that time. He also had a high walk rate, walking 32 in that time period as well. He pitched at Middle Tennessee State University his freshman year before pitching at Columbia State Community College in 2025. 

He has a mid-90s fastball that has touched 96 mph and an above-average curveball that sits 83-84. He was part of a pitching staff that helped Troy make a College World Series appearance at the Division I level for the first time in program history. 

Round 17 (509th overall): Richie Roman, RHP, Houston

Roman has pitched the past three years at Houston, where he has improved year over year. In 2026, he pitched in 13 games, starting four, where he threw 30 ⅓ innings, recording 31 strikeouts with a 3.86 ERA. His control was suspect this past year, walking 13 and hitting eight batters in those 13 appearances. 

He just turned 21 last week, so he will be pitching his age-22 season in the first full season of his professional career in 2027. His fastball has reached as high as 97 mph with a splitter/sinker that sits 88-92. He also throws a curveball and a changeup. 

Round 18 (539th overall): Cooper Corkrean, LHP, University of New Mexico

Corkrean was thrown out of the Lobos bullpen this past year, recording four saves across 21 appearances. In those appearances, he had two starts, throwing 59 innings with 59 strikeouts. He was second-team All Mountain West in his one year with the Lobos. 

Prior to pitching at New Mexico, he pitched for Galveston College for two years. His fastball tops out in the low-90s.

He entered the transfer portal after the 2026 season, originally committing to Houston but then flipping his commitment to Kentucky. 

Round 19 (569th overall): Hudson DeVaughan, P, Mooresville HS (Indiana) 

The University of Alabama commit has a deep repertoire, including a four-seam fastball, a two-seamer, a cutter, and two breaking balls. His fastball has reached 98 mph. He was part of a state championship team his sophomore season in high school. He was limited on the showcase circuit last summer, but he bounced back as one of the best pitching prospects in the Midwest. 

It will likely take more than the $150,000 to convince DeVaughan to forgo his college commitment. His parents were both athletes at the University of Florida, and his dad, Derek, was drafted in the 23rd round of the 1997 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 138th-best prospect in the 2026 draft. He projects to have more velocity to come, so that is an intriguing thing to keep an eye on going forward as well. If he doesn’t sign, he will be draft eligible again in 2028 as a sophomore.

Round 20 (599th overall): Riley McDonald, RHP, State College of Florida 

McDonald, a JUCO product, pitched mostly out of the bullpen, with 21 appearances and five starts. He threw 63 ⅔ innings, where he recorded 58 strikeouts. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the season and committed to Liberty University. 

Which of these picks are you most excited about?

View full article