Meet Jac Caglianone, The Kansas City Royals’ Roof-Top Power Prospect

Jac Caglianone is just what the Kansas City Royals need – a powerful run-producing slugger. The kind of guy who can launch a baseball on top of a nearby building as he did on Saturday.

The Royals knew they needed a slugger like that when they drafted him No. 6 overall last July. They know it now as they rank tied for 28th among 30 MLB teams in home runs this season. And that is only after crunching seven homers Sunday in Baltimore.

They know it as they have watched Caglianone bat .314 with 6 doubles, 6 homers and 27 RBI in 27 games at Northwest Arkansas of the Double-A Texas League in 2025.

The organization also knows it does not want to rush him to the big leagues and potentially stymie or even ruin a blossoming career. It’s a tough decision for General Manager J.J. Picollo.

After sending Caglianone to the minor-league camp in March, he told Anne Rogers of MLB.com: “Just because he’s not on our Opening Day roster doesn’t mean we’re not going to be open-minded to him being on the team at some point. Regardless, I think he’s going to be a fast mover to the Major Leagues. It’s just a matter of when we feel secure that when he comes up, we have less doubt about having to option him back.

“You can see why our scouts felt so good about him and are so high on him. He just needs to keep building that foundation to become a ready Major League hitter. ‘When’ is a tough question to answer.”

A month later, former Royals all-star first baseman Eric Hosmer said the time is now. On his “Diggin’ Deep” podcast, Hosmer said, “I’m a little upset, Kansas City. We need this guy in Kansas City right now, dog. This dude is straight up dominating the minor leagues right now.”

Picollo told Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star: “When it comes to Jac Caglianone’s development, we want to do it the right way, and the right way isn’t to fire guys into the big leagues. A lot of guys fail. Not saying that Jac would or wouldn’t. We don’t know, but in the best interest of the organization and Jac, where he is (is) where he needs to be.”

Jac Caglianone’s Credentials

In 165 games over three years at the University of Florida, the 6-5, 250-pound first baseman clouted 75 homers with 189 RBI and a .355 average. He also had a 12-6 record in 34 starts as a pitcher with a 97-mph fastball. He struck out 170 in 148 1/3 career innings for the Gators, but also walked 105, leading to a 4.55 ERA.

Some scouts thought one of the five teams drafting ahead of the Royals should have taken him. A couple of them said privately they thought he was MLB ready then as a hitter. He got a whopping $7,497,500 to sign as a two-way player, but he has not taken the mound as a professional.

His first pro homer was a grand slam and Caglianone totalled 7 homers with 35 RBI as a pro in 2024. That included 5 homers and 21 RBI in 21 games in the 2024 Arizona Fall League.

His long arms generate immense power from a smooth, slightly uppercut swing. At Florida, he mashed one ball with an exit velocity over 121 mph. Such swings are prone to a lot of swing and miss. In 56 pro games, he has fanned 55 times.

Caglianone’s profile is similar to Nick Kurtz, recently called up by the Athletics. Kurtz was picked two spots ahead of him last July. Both bring comparisons to big lefty sluggers who were alternately stars and disasters at the big-league level.

Jac Caglianone … Right Fielder?

Caglianone is not fast but displays good agility around the first-base bag. He has played four games in right field this year, fielding all 11 of his chances with no errors.

The ability to play right field may ultimately be Caglianone’s ticket to The Show. For now, it is probably keeping him from arriving in Kansas City right away. In addition to adjusting to the rigors of pro ball and facing better pitching, he needs much more than four games at a new position to be MLB-ready. That puts a lot on his plate at age 22.

Vinnie Pasquantino was expected to be a big run-producer at age 27 at first base after hitting 19 homers with 97 RBI in 2024. The lefty is batting only .197 with 6 homers, though 3 have come in the last 5 games. If he heats up, there’s no room for Caglianone at first, particularly with veteran catcher Salvador Perez getting some time there to rest his 35-year-old legs.

Hunter Renfroe, 33, has played the most in right field this season and been brutal: a .160 average, 0 homers and 4 RBI. Drew Waters has played 9 games in right, 21 overall and is batting .282 but with only 1 homer, 7 RBI.

After a 9-14 start, Kansas City has won 11 of its last 13 games. The Royals have a solid starting rotation, a good bullpen made stronger by the recent acquisition of closer Carlos Estevez – and one of the most exciting players in the game in star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.

Royals management is going to have to decipher if the risk of bringing up Caglianone “too soon” outweighs the potential reward if he succeeds – or in a less-favorable scenario experiences possible failure that would delay his career development.

Jac Caglianone could be the difference between making the playoffs and missing out on a return trip. A year ago, the Royals finished tied for second with the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central to the Cleveland Guardians. All three made the playoffs. The Tigers currently lead Cleveland by 1½ games and the Royals by 3.