​With the 30th overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft, the Kansas City Royals selected Taylor Rabe, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Mississippi. Rabe fits the archetype of a classic power pitcher. He stands tall at 6’5” and relies on a fastball that regularly sits in the upper 90s and can reach triple digits. This season for Ole Miss, Rabe logged 76 innings across 17 appearances, posting a 3.55 ERA, a 34.2% strikeout rate, and an impressive 4.9% walk rate.
Industry observers pegged Rabe somewhere in the late 20s to mid-40s on their national big boards, a range that aligns well with the Royals’ Competitive Balance selection at 30. It’s worth noting that Rabe is a draft-eligible sophomore, making him a year younger than many of his pitching peers. There’s speculation that the Royals, who also drafted Zion Rose sixth overall, may have directed some of their savings on that pick toward luring Rabe away from college.
Rabe has already undergone Tommy John surgery, a circumstance that has become increasingly common as young pitchers face the procedure more often. More pitchers are able to come back from multiple TJ surgeries, which adds a layer of resilience to Rabe’s profile.
From The Athletic, Rabe redshirted as a freshman while recovering from Tommy John, then logged just 16 innings in 2025, allowing 22 hits and striking out eight. He reemerged as a dominant starter down the stretch this season for Mississippi, finishing the SEC tournament with a 35% strikeout rate and a minuscule 3.4% walk rate. He closed the regular season with 27 strikeouts across his final two outings, spanning 12 innings. Defensively and physically, Rabe is a tall, athletic 6’5”, about 200 pounds, and he repeats his delivery with ease. His velocity sits in the 96–98 mph range, with a late hop that aids his propulsion. His primary secondary offering is a hard slider with abrupt downward bite, a plus pitch that contrasts with his power sweeper/slurve, which sits a few miles per hour slower. He possesses a straight changeup, though it’s not a primary weapon at present and would likely require refinement in pro ball. While Rabe has a bit more physical projection left, his control is already plus, and he shows a high degree of plate presence and delivery repeatability. He’s not a finished product, but he carries mid-rotation upside.
MLB.com notes that Rabe’s fastball induces a high rate of chases, groundballs, and swings-and-misses due to its velocity, carry, command, and deception. His upper-80s cutter and mid-80s slider have improved over the season, and they were particularly effective in a six-inning shutout performance against Alabama in the SEC tournament, where he struck out 13. He hasn’t shown a reliable upper-80s changeup yet, and that pitch may need refinement or a different approach in pro ball. Rabe’s frame—an athletic 6’5”, around 200 pounds—allows for continued development, and his delivery is repeatable enough to minimize walks. He’s not a finished product yet, but he carries a projection that suggests he could settle into a mid-rotation role with continued refinement.