SURPRISE, Ariz.—The Kansas City Royals selected 16 players on the second day of the 2026 First-Year Player Draft. All press releases and Zoom calls related to the 2026 Draft can be found here.
In total, the Royals selected 16 pitchers (10 RHP, 6 LHP), one infielder, three outfielders and one catcher. Of their 21 picks, 17 were from the college ranks, including 2 from JUCO, and four were high school players.
With the 151st overall pick in the 5th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Ethan McElvain out of the University of Arkansas. McElvain, 21, completed his junior season at the University of Arkansas, where he went 6-0 with a 1.88 ERA (8 ER in 38.1 IP) with 6 saves in 20 games (1 start).He was named a Second Team All-American (ABCA/Rawlings and NCBWA) as a relief pitcher and garnered All-SEC Second Team honors. This season with the Razorbacks, he held opponents to a .182 batting average and struck out 55 hitters to just 13 walks allowed.
With the 180th overall pick in the 6th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Justin LeGuernic out of Clemson University. LeGuernic, 20, posted a 4-2 record with a 4.69 ERA (21 ER in 40.1 IP) and 3 saved in 19 relief appearances—12 of which were at least 2.0 innings—as a junior this season with the Tigers. He was tied for 2nd among Clemson pitchers in appearances this season, while he ranked 3rd in both innings pitched and strikeouts (50). This year, he pitched exclusively out of the bullpen after making 7 starts over his first two seasons at Clemson.
With the 209th overall pick in the 7th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Vigue out of the University of Georgia. Vigue, 22, went 4-1 with a 4.43 ERA (31 ER in 63.0 IP) in 18 games (16 starts) as a junior at Georgia this season, leading the Bulldogs to the SEC regular season and tournament titles and a berth in the College World Series. The Bulldogs won 17 of his 18 outings this year, including each of the final 17 from Feb. 22-June 16 after losing his 1st game of the season on Feb. 14. He made the start in an elimination game of the College World Series on June 16 vs. Texas, when he pitched 4.0 innings of Georgia’s 2-0 shutout victory, helping the Bulldogs advance to the semifinals.
With the 239th overall pick in the 8th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Hunter Possehl out of Florida Gulf Coast University. Possehl, 22, was named to the All-ASUN Second Team as a redshirt sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University this year, posting a 4-1 record with a 3.21 ERA (24 ER in 67.1 IP) in 15 games (14 starts) for the Eagles. He allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in each of his final 7 starts for FGCU from April 12-May 22, a stretch in which he had a 1.56 ERA (6 ER in 34.2 IP). He posted a 2.35 ERA (12 ER in 46.0 IP) in conference play with Florida Gulf Coast this season, which was the lowest mark by a qualified pitcher in the A-SUN.
With the 269th overall pick in the 9th round, the Royals selected infielder Camden Johnson out of the University of Oklahoma. Johnson, 21, is a left-handed hitting infielder who played in 65 of National Champion Oklahoma’s 66 games during his junior year this season, while making 62 starts at third base for the Sooners. He slashed .298/.403/.478 (73-for-245) with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 31 steals, and 48 RBI. Led Oklahoma hitters this year in steals and runs scored (63), while he recorded 23 multi-hit efforts—including 7 consecutive from May 2-15—and tallied multiple RBI in 11 different contests. On April 10 at Vanderbilt, he recorded his 1st career multi-homer game, connecting on a 3-run homer in the 1st and a grand slam in the 4th, marking a career-high 7 RBI.
With the 299th overall pick in the 10th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Grant Fontenot out of Louisiana State University. Fontenot, 23, made 21 appearances (4 starts) as a fifth-year senior at Louisiana State University, going 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA (15 ER in 32.1 IP) and 42 strikeouts (11.7 K/9). He recorded multiple strikeouts in 13 of his 21 outings (61.9%) this year, including 4 of his final 6 games to close out the year. He ranked 2nd among LSU pitchers with 3 saves this year, behind Deven Sheerin (5), who was selected in the 4th round (128th overall) by the Phillies.
With the 329th overall pick in the 11th round, the Royals selected outfielder Tanner Griffith out of Saint Mary’s College. Griffith, 21, started all 62 games for Saint Mary’s College as a junior this season and was named to the All-WCC Second Team and the WCC All-Tournament Team after slashing .342/.477/.545 (79-for-231) with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 5 home runs, 18 steals, 42 RBI, 45 walks and a 1.022 OPS. He led the Gaels in multi-hit games (30) this season, and recorded at least 3 hits in 5 of his final 8 games, including 2 such efforts during the NCAA Tournament on May 31 vs. UCLA and later that same day vs. Cal Poly, as the Gaels upset the No. 1 overall seed UCLA to advance to a Regional Final.
With the 359th overall pick in the 12th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Lance Hartley out of the College of Central Florida. Hartley, 20, spent this season at the College of Central Florida—a community college located in Ocala, Fla., 40 miles south of Gainesville—where he made 5 appearances (4 starts), going 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA (6 ER in 16.0 IP) and a 0.88 WHIP, while he recorded 22 strikeouts to just 5 walks. He began his collegiate career at WVU Potomac State College, where he struck out 54 batters in 35.0 innings across 10 appearances (9 starts). He is currently committed to the University of South Carolina.
With the 389th overall pick in the 13th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dalton Hill out of Nicholls State University (La.). Hill, 22, concluded his senior season at Nicholls State University (La.), where he posted a 1.35 ERA (3 ER in 20.0 IP) and a .147 opponents’ average (10-for-68) across 17 relief appearances. He struck out 19 batters this year while surrendering just 6 walks. Prior to the start of the 2025 season, he transferred to Nicholls State from Northeast Texas Community College, where he was named to the All-Conference Second Team in 2024 after striking out 39 hitters over 10 conference starts.
With the 419th overall pick in the 14th round, the Royals selected catcher Banks Wickersham out of Fort Dorchester High School (S.C.). Wickersham, 18, is a right-handed hitting catcher out of Fort Dorchester High School and is committed to play baseball at the College of Charleston. As a senior, this year, he hit .462 with 10 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs and 13 stolen bases, while notching 29 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. He is the Fort Dorchester baseball program’s all-time leader in hits, and he was recognized as a Perfect Game Atlantic All-American in 2026 and received All-State honors in 2025. Additionally, he owns his own landscaping business.
With the 449th overall pick in the 15th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Madden Clement out of Virginia Tech. Clement, 21, appeared in 8 games (5 starts) for the Hokies as a junior this season, posting a 3.95 ERA (6 ER in 13.2 IP) with 13 strikeouts. He began this season as a starting pitcher for Virginia Tech before transitioning into a bullpen role from May 16 through the end of the campaign. He has made 4 appearances (3 starts) with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod League this summer, posting 18 strikeouts over 12.1 innings.
With the 479th overall pick in the 16th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Dylan Alonso out of Troy University (Ala.). Alonso, 22, went 4-3 with a 5.11 ERA (28 ER in 49.1 IP) with 60 strikeouts (10.9 K/9) in 28 games (4 starts), earning 7 saves with the Trojans this season en route to the first College World Series appearance in program history. He led the team in saves, while his 28 appearances ranked 3rd, 2 shy of the leader. He transferred to Troy after spending his sophomore season at Columbia State CC (Tenn.) in 2025 and his freshman season at Middle Tennessee State in 2024. Alonso’s selection marks back-to-back in years in which a Troy Trojan was drafted by the Royals, following Brooks Bryan in 2025 (8th round).
With the 509th overall pick in the 17th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Richie Roman out of the University of Houston. Roman, who turned 21 on Wednesday, owned a 2-1 record and a 3.86 ERA (13 ER in 30.1 IP) with 31 strikeouts over 13 outings (4 starts) for the Cougars as a junior this season. His 3.86 ERA this season was the best on the team, while his 1.32 WHIP ranked 4th (min. 10.0 IP).
With the 539th overall pick in the 18th round, the Royals selected left-handed pitcher Cooper Corkrean out of the University of New Mexico. Corkrean, 21, went 6-2 with a 5.49 ERA (36 ER in 59.0 IP) in 21 games (2 starts) with the Lobos as a junior this season, striking out 59, while issuing only 24 walks...he ranked 2nd on the team in wins and threw the 3rd-most innings. He was named to the All-Mountain West Second Team this season after holding conference opponents to a .194 batting average while owning a 1.02 WHIP in Mountain West play.
With the 569th overall pick in the 19th round, the Royals selected right-handed pitcher Hudson DeVaughn out of Mooresville High School (Ind.) and is committed to play collegiate baseball at Alabama. He was rated as the No. 2 right-handed pitcher and the No. 5 overall prospect from the state of Indiana, according to Perfect Game and Prep Baseball.