Five Sleepers to Watch From the Royals' 2026 MLB Draft Class

The MLB Draft signing deadline passed on Monday with the Royals signing 19 of their 20 Draft selections. They also signed three undrafted free agents, giving them a total of 22 players from this draft-eligible class.

The only selection that was not signed was right-handed pitcher Hudson DeVaughan, a prep prospect out of Mooresville High School in Indiana. DeVaughan committed to the University of Alabama, and it seemed like the Royals weren't able to convince DeVaughan to opt out and go professional instead.

In the era of NIL, it's getting tougher for teams to sign players like DeVaughan in the Draft. The Cleveland Guardians were unable to sign their second-round pick, Logan Schmidt, a left-handed pitcher who is committed to LSU. Schmidt is debating going to LSU (and making some serious NIL money) or going to JuCo and being eligible for the 2027 MLB Draft.

Even though the Royals weren't able to sign all 20 draft picks, they produced an intriguing class with a nice mix of safe, college picks and prep upside. The Royals are already seeing dividends from their 2024 and 2025 Draft classes under Scouting Director Brian Bridges, as High-A and Low-A are the two best-performing clubs in the Royals organization (the Complex League team has also had a strong season). 

In this post, I am going to highlight five players from this Royals Draft class who could be sleepers and whom fans should pay attention to, especially if they matriculate to Low-A or Complex League ball in 2026. 

Dominic Battista, OF, Oswego East High School (IL), 4th Round Pick

Battista isn't necessarily a sleeper, as he got an overslot deal of $800,000 in the Draft (the slot value was $651, 500). However, while much was made on the first day about first-round selection Zion Rose, I think Battista could be a high-ceiling selection who could surprise in this system.

The Illinois prep product isn't an imposing athlete, but he's young (still 18), and he's got a frame that he could grow into effectively. Scouts raved about his defensive ability and his surprising batted-ball and exit velocity metrics on the showcase circuit, making him a bit of a darling of both the Royals' scouts and analytics team. Prospect Porch made note of his exit velocities at the Super 60 and also highlighted his strong arm strength in the outfield. 

Some scouts believe Battista could stick in center field. Even if he can't, he could be a nice outfielder to pair with Sean Gamble, who's taking the Carolina League by storm after a slow start in Columbia. 

With any prep prospect, there's a level of risk, especially compared to players right out of college. However, the Royals have demonstrated success developing prep bats from last year's Draft, with Gamble and Josh Hammond being prime examples. It's easy to see the Illinois prep outfielder find similar success, especially with tools that may be more mature than casual fans may think. The exit velocity numbers make me think there's 15-20+ HR upside, maybe more depending on how he fills out his frame as he ages. 

Battista may not see any professional at-bats for the remainder of the year, as the Royals have been slow to move prep prospect initially (Hammond and Gamble didn't debut in professional ball until 2026). However, I expect him to play in the Instructional League and maybe make a push for the Complex League or Low-A ball, depending on how Spring Training goes for him. 

Hunter Possehl, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast University, 8th Round Pick

Possehl came from FGCU, which produced All-Star lefty Chris Sale. At 6-7, the Royals' 8th-round selection has gotten some comparisons to Sale due to his height and funky delivery. I think that's a bit optimistic, but there is some upside with Possehl that could make him a nice sleeper pick for the Royals.

After a mediocre first season at FGCU in 2025 (7.32 ERA in 19.1 IP), Possehl stepped up in his second season. He posted a 3.21 ERA in 67.1 IP and improved his K/BB ratio from 1.69 in 2025 to 2.50 in 2026. He struck out fewer batters per nine innings in 2026, going from a 10.1 K/9 in 2025 to an 8.7 K/9 last year. That said, his BB/9 fell dramatically, going from a 5.9 mark in 2025 to a 3.5 mark in 2026. In addition to showing better control, Possehl has a slider that generated a near 60% whiff rate last season.

I think there's some room to grow for Possehl, especially if the Royals pitching development team can clean up his delivery a little bit and help him add strength (which will help increase velocity). The arm slot is tough for opposing hitters, and the breaking stuff is polished enough to generate consistent swing-and-miss. He also seems to have strong makeup, and being a Spanish minor at FGCU shows that he is adaptable and quick to learn.

At the very least, Possehl is an Evan Sisk-like reliever who can move quickly if he stays in the bullpen. However, I think the Royals will give him a shot to prove himself in the rotation, albeit in Low-A Columbia next year. 

Tanner Griffith, OF, St. Mary's College, 11th Round Pick

The Royals had a lot of success with outfielders who aren't imposing or don't have eye-popping tools, but do nothing but perform at the college level. Last year, it was UIC's Luke Pelzer and Creighton's Nolan Sailors, who have absolutely mashed in High-A Quad Cities despite being later selections in the MLB Draft (Sailors was drafted in the 4th round; Pelzer was selected in the 17th round). 

Griffith may be that type of guy for the Royals from this year's draft class.

An 11th-round pick out of SMC of the WCC, Griffith mashed in Moraga, hitting .342 with a 1.022 OPS in 303 plate appearances. He had five home runs, scored 61 runs, collected 45 RBI, and stole 18 bases on 19 attempts. The 21-year-old outfielder also had 45 walks to 38 strikeouts. That kind of approach and batted-ball ability will play, especially in the lower Minors. 

Griffith had a TCU commitment, so it's possible that he could've gone even higher in the Draft in 2027 with a move to the Big 12. In addition to a strong final season at SMC, the Gaels outfielder also did well in the WCL summer league for the Portland Pickles before the 2026 season. In 83 plate appearances, he hit .300 with an .826 OPS and had 8 stolen bases on 9 attempts. He was a key member of a team that was very successful in the WCL.

It's easy to sleep on guys like Griffith, especially since he's not imposing (he's 5'9) and not coming from a Power 5 college. However, all the tools are there for Griffith to be successful and move quickly in the Royals system in 2027, much like Pelzer this year, who has moved to Double-A after a successful stint in High-A Quad Cities. 

Dylan Alonso, RHP, Troy University, 16th Round Pick

It's easy to dismiss a pick like Alonso when one looks at his surface-level metrics. After all, he posted a 5.11 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 1.88 K/BB ratio in 49.1 IP with Troy last season. However, a deeper dive into his profile makes him more intriguing and a late-round sleeper who could find success next year.

While the walks were high, Alonso struck out 10.9 batters per nine innings and had 60 total strikeouts. The 22-year-old also showed a penchant for pitching well in big games for a team that made the College World Series. A prime example of that was his 2.1 IP, 4 K performance against a ranked University of Alabama team back in May. 

Another positive aspect of Alonso's profile is that he thrived in the MLB Draft League in his short sample after finishing his career with Troy. With Williamsport, he posted a 1.13 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, an 11.3 K/9, and a 3.33 K/BB ratio in three appearances and eight innings of work. That strong performance helped him get drafted in the 16th round by the Royals.

Another success story in the MLB Draft League? Former Louisiana-Lafayette pitcher L.P. Langevin, who's emerged as the best reliever in High-A Quad Cities. Alonso doesn't have the pure stuff of Langevin, but he still can pump up to 96 MPH on his fastball, has a nasty breaker, and he comes from the same background and conference as the River Bandits reliever. 

Don't be surprised to see Alonso turn some heads in the Royals system next year, with stints in Low-A Columbia and High-A Quad Cities possible. 

Ben North, SS/3B, Creighton University, Undrafted Free Agent

Usually, undrafted free agents are pure dart throws (Noah Barber from Kansas being a prime example). That said, the Royals may have gotten a nice sleeper in infielder North, who comes from a pretty strong Big East program that's produced some intriguing players in the Royals organization (Sailors, Nicky Lopez, and Isaac Collins, for example). 

North is an older player, as he was 23 years old in his final season in Omaha. However, as a senior, he hit .319 with a .997 OPS in 265 plate appearances. The former Blue Jay also hit 11 home runs, scored 51 runs, collected 44 RBI, and stole 26 bases on 29 attempts. He also had a big walk-off home run in May against a Kansas team that made it to the Super Regionals (losing to eventual National Champion Oklahoma).

He's not a tremendous athlete, but he's a gamer who got better every year at Creighton.

After posting a .571 OPS in 2023, he sported an .826 OPS in 2024 and .846 OPS in 2025 before hitting his .997 mark last year. He also increased the walks, going from 19 and 28 in 2024 and 2025 to 35 in 2026 (despite having 13 fewer plate appearances in 2026 compared to 2025). Even in 2025, North showed some intriguing power in big spots, as evidenced by this home run below against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament.

While he didn't get selected, it's plausible to see North move quickly and make an impact immediately this year in the Complex League, perhaps the Carolina League if he can mash quickly in Arizona. 

Some undrafted guys simply go through the cracks for a variety of reasons. Brett Squires is an example of an undrafted free agent who's knocking on the door in Omaha with the Storm Chasers.

Perhaps North can be the next Squires-esque success story. 

Check out our 2026 MLB Draft tracker, with scouting reports, player information, total pool allotments, and much more!