‘Gifted human.’ ‘Physically imposing.’ KC Royals top prospect is earning rave reviews
It didn’t take long for Jac Caglianone to burst onto the scene. His arrival was like a rare phenomenon.
Think Halley’s Comet or a solar eclipse.
Caglianone has all the skills to be a superstar. And this spring, the Kansas City Royals are getting a closer look at their brightest star on the horizon.
“That is a gifted human,” Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt said.
The Royals selected Caglianone sixth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. He has impressed those in the organization with his immense talent, professionalism and passion for the game.
“He looks like he moves well,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters in Surprise, Arizona, on Friday. “He is physically imposing, like we have talked about a lot.”
Caglianone is listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds. The Royals drafted Caglianone as a two-way player but have since asked him to focus on hitting. In college, Caglianone hit 75 home runs in three seasons at the University of Florida.
That power has been on display this spring.
Caglianone hit his first Cactus League home run against the Chicago White Sox at Surprise Stadium. The baseball traveled 435 feet and landed halfway up the center field berm. The swing registered a 115.4 mph exit velocity off the bat.
There were audible gasps in the stands. The homer would’ve been the Royals’ third-hardest-hit home run in the Statcast era, had it come in regular-season play. The list includes Jorge Soler (115.7 mph) and Kendrys Morales (115.6 mph).
Caglianone has continued to generate hard contact this spring. He is hitting .429 with 1.286 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in seven at-bats.
Despite the small sample size (so far), Caglianone believes his spring training experience has helped him develop rapidly. He is one of three players in Royals history to report to MLB spring camp after being drafted a year prior.
“(Zumwalt) has told me to just trust myself,” Caglianone said. “It’s going to take a lot of repetitions and, at the end of the day, you’ve just got to go out there and compete. It’s basically trusting yourself and trusting your ability. And that’s what I’m buying into.”
The Royals will bring Caglianone slowly. He enters his first full professional season and is expected to start the 2025 campaign in the minor leagues.
Caglianone played 29 games in High-A Quad Cities last season. Later, he appeared in the Arizona Fall League where he recorded five home runs and 21 RBIs.
“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” Caglianone said. “I was very happy that the Royals gave me the opportunity to go and represent them in the (Arizona) Fall League. I think it was exactly what I needed to get that full taste of pro ball outside of that month and a half in Quad Cities.”
This spring, Caglianone will be at first base. He has enlisted advice from Royals star Vinnie Pasquantino about fine-tuning his skills at the position.
Quatraro is excited about Caglianone’s progress. He raved about Caglianone’s defensive acumen early in camp.
“He moves well and exchanges the ball well from glove to hand,” Quatraro said. “He gets good feeds and, obviously, we know he has a good arm. He can throw the ball extremely hard.”
Caglianone got his first start Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He will get a few more opportunities as spring training continues.
“You know, the vibes are great,” Caglianone said. “I’m with a great group of guys and I’m still figuring out some things and trying to get into the flow of things. How hectic your first spring training is, everyone talks about it. You don’t really know what they are talking about until you are in it.”
The Royals will give Caglianone plenty of time to sit and learn. Caglianone is the club’s top prospect and ranks No. 22 in MLB.com’s top-100 overall listing.
Caglianone represents a future star that can be seen from a distance. And one that is speeding toward Kansas City ready to make an impact.
This story was originally published March 2, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
