Is Royals’ Jac Caglianone near an offensive breakout? Signs are starting to show
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- Jac Caglianone delivered a game-tying RBI single against Seattle with two outs in ninth.
- He has hit safely in 13 of his last 17 games and has five multi-hit games.
- Royals manager Matt Quatraro credits Caglianone for improved zone management at the plate.
Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone has stepped up in pivotal moments this season. And his teammates have noticed.
On Saturday, Caglianone drove in the game-tying run against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Royals were down to their final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, with tough closer Andres Munoz pumping high-velocity fastballs on the mound.
Munoz allowed a leadoff single to Salvador Perez. Then he quickly struck out Carter Jensen in the Royals’ next at-bat. This brought Caglianone to the plate with the game on the line.
Caglianone had the arduous task of scoring the baserunner. In this case, the Royals had pinch-runner Lane Thomas on second. Any hit would score Thomas and even the game at two runs apiece.
Caglianone did one better. He hit an RBI single to center field and hustled to third after Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez fumbled the ball.
As Caglianone reached safely, he yelled out in jubilation. It was the second night the 23-year-old had caome through in the clutch — on Friday, he belted a solo homer over the right-field wall.
“I hadn’t faced Munoz before, but you know, watching videos and everything, I knew he had an electric heater,” Caglianone said. “So I told myself, just be on time for the heater. And if it’s there, just go.
“And luckily, first pitch, saw it pretty good and put a good swing on it. Props to Lane for busting it and getting around the bases and scoring that run. That was huge. So it was just a really cool moment to do that on the road.”
Caglianone has played well in recent games. He finished 2-for-4 Saturday and has now hit safely in 13 of his last 17 games. It was also his fifth multi-hit outing and second game-tying RBI in the ninth inning or later.
This season, Caglianone is hitting .263 with 25 hits, three homers, six RBIs and a .772 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in 29 games.
The offensive production is starting to bubble. The Royals are hoping Caglianone can hit his stride after a 2025 that fell short of expectations.
“He’s been showing good at-bats the last couple of weeks,” Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia said. “He’s young, but he’s growing up like a pro baseball player. We know he has good talent and we trust him. He’s done a great job staying aggressive with the fastball.”
Royals manager Matt Quatraro also sees Caglianone’s promise. He was intrigued by Caglianone’s approach throughout Saturday’s victory.
“It’s not just the swings, it’s what he doesn’t swing at, you know,” Quatraro said. “And when he lays off some of those tough pitches down in the (strike) zone, or if he takes a couple of the fastballs up, he’s managing the zone better. And that’s going to be a big key for him as he continues to develop.”
Caglianone remains cautious despite his success. He’s taking a day-by-day approach and staying even-keeled as he continues to get accustomed to big-league baseball. It’s sage advice he learned from such veteran teammates as Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino.
“Following their lead on that has been super helpful for the mental,” Caglianone said. “And honestly, it’s kind of freed the mind up for the day to day.”
Each day presents a new challenge. Yet Caglianone is making a strong impression that he can handle the ebbs and flows with confidence.
His numbers are trending upward and his confidence is beginning to stabilize at a high level.
“Jac’s a great player and he is putting together professional at-bats,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “We’re lucky he’s on our side. I think he is going to do really good things. And like I said, we’re seeing it.”
