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The Kansas City Royals selected Jack Slightom with the No. 56 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. The slot value for that selection is $1,721,700. Slightom is a Cincinnati Bearcat signee but is likely to sign with Kansas City rather than taking the college route. A three-sport athlete, Slightom wasn't serious about full-time baseball until his senior season. He certainly locked in and showed his potential, posting a 7-0 record with a 0.38 ERA, the best in all of Illinois high school baseball. Here is what our draft expert Jamie Cameron had to say about Slightom. "Jack Slightom is a cold-weather arm out of Illinois, currently committed to Cincinnati, who has surged up draft boards towards the end of the cycle. A projectable righty at 6'4, 200 pounds, he's made strides in the last 12 months and should flourish in a pro system after splitting time between baseball and football in high school. Slightom has some interesting release traits with a lower arm slot and above-average extension. It's a run and ride fastball that has been as high as 98 mph, but will likely sit in the 93-95 mph range, a significant step forward from his junior year. Slightom's primary breaking pitch is a sweeping slider that could use more firmness. He's also shown capacity for a changeup with tumble and fade." Slightom is the second pitcher selected by Kansas City in the first round of the draft, joining Ole Miss right-hander Taylor Rabe. Slightom will join a top prospect list that already contains 17 of its top 30 as starting pitchers. If the fastball velocity can be paired with the offseason command, Slightom has a chance to rival the success that the Royals front office expects Rabe to have. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Kansas City selected Taylor Rabe, a right-hander pitcher from the University of Mississippi with their Competitive Balance A. Round selection. The slot value for that draft position is $3,190,500. Rabe spent all three seasons of his collegiate career at Ole Miss and was a part of the 2024 National Championship team. Rabe made 11 starts in 2026, posting a 3.55 ERA in 76 innings pitched with an excellent strikeout rate of 34.2%. Along with his stellar strikeout rate, Rabe walked just 15 batters in his 76 innings pitched. Here's what our MLB Draft expert Jamie Cameron had to say about Rabe. Taylor Rabe is a 6’5, right-handed pitcher for Ole’ Miss, who has been a significant late riser on draft boards down the stretch of the 2026 season. After blowing out his elbow in his senior year of high school, he made it to campus and spent his 2024 season recovering from TJ surgery. Rabe transitioned into a starting role in 2026, after functioning primarily as a reliever his sophomore season. He logged a career high 76 innings in 2026, posting a strikeout rate of 34.2%, while managing a 3.75 FIP, an excellent mark given the quality of the competition he faced regularly. Rabe has an excellent fastball that sits 95-97 mph but has touched triple digits. It’s primarily complemented by a cutter (86 mph), a slider (82 mph), and a changeup (87 mph), giving Rabe a solid four-pitch mix with which to transition into pro ball. There’s excellent strike throwing here. Rabe walked just 4.9% of hitters in 2026. That’s actually up from 2025 (2.5%), and he gets good extension down the mound. There’s a ton of starter traits here, and I like Rabe a ton to polish up his arsenal and optimize his approach with an offseason in a pro system under his belt. The arrow is firmly up here. Rabe will join a Kansas City pitching system that includes its No. 1 overall prospect, Kendry Chourio. The Royals farm system also includes pitchers such as left-hander David Shields and right-handers Ben Kudrna, Drew Beam and Steven Zobac. Overall, 17 of Kansas City's top 30 prospects are pitchers, a number that will likely stay the same when Rabe enters and knocks someone out. View full article