How Jac Caglianone regained his confidence after full season in the big leagues
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Caglianone improved in 2026 after mental work, WBC experience and a simplified approach.
- In June 2026, he’s leading MLB with a .538 average, .625 OBP and 1.587 OPS.
- Royals have big hopes for Caglianone, who was drafted No. 6 overall.
Jac Caglianone calmly jogged to first base. After an 11-pitch at-bat against Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi on Friday night, he had earned it.
Caglianone saw everything in Eovaldi’s arsenal. He saw a mix of fastballs and off-speed pitches that darted throughout the strike zone. With each pitch, Caglianone downloaded information for future use.
He analyzed the pitch shapes and their late movement. His sharp eye helped him fight off borderline offerings and rack up foul balls.
Caglianone eventually worked a well-deserved walk.
And in his next two at-bats, he made the Rangers pay with two significant homers. It was his second career multi-homer game — which coincidentally also came against the Rangers — as the Royals won 5-3 at Kauffman Stadium.
“He’s doing a really nice job of controlling the strike zone,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “He’s not swinging at the first pitch every single time. He’s okay with hitting with two strikes. I think there’s a hitter in there that’s coming out now, which is nice to see.”
A developed approach
If you would’ve asked any Royals official last season, the club was a bit apprehensive to promote Caglianone to the big-league level. In reality, Caglianone didn’t have enough seasoning to handle the rigors of major-league pitching.
However, a dominant run in the minors — coupled with the Royals’ desire to infuse life into their beleaguered offense — necessitated a move. KC needed offensive production and Caglianone continued to fare well at Triple-A Omaha.
He had a nuclear first week with the Omaha Storm Chasers. There were homers every night and daily cries for him to be called up. The Royals ultimately relented on June 3, 2025, against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
“In the moment, that’s what we needed,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “You know, you always go back and look at decisions and revisit them. The truth of the matter is that you don’t know what the future would be when you make that decision.”
Caglianone initially struggled in his first stint with the Royals. He was admittedly too aggressive and chased everything in the strike zone. Teams targeted his aggression and offered him nothing to hit at the plate.
The results were unsightly. Caglianone finished with a .157 batting average, seven home runs, 18 RBIs and 52 strikeouts. He walked 18 times and posted a dismal .532 OPS.
It was a steep decline from his minor-league numbers. The Royals knew Caglianone would be a work in progress. It just took him time to realize it for himself.
“I took the offseason to really get the mental right,” Caglianone said. “Wasn’t in the best headspace, but, you know, speaking with some psychs and stuff, (I was) finding new pathways to compartmentalize some things. Figuring where to grow, what are the strengths and all that type of stuff played a big role in it.”
Caglianone leaned on his teammates through the process. He speaks regularly with Pasquantino, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Lane Thomas as his go-to vets. Additionally, he spends a lot of time with close friend Carter Jensen.
Jensen sits next to Caglianone in the Royals clubhouse. They often chat about the game and are both a major part of the club’s future.
“He’s continuously gotten better and better,” Pasquantino said. “He’s doing what we’re asking of him as a hitter, as a teammate as an outfielder. Probably the biggest growth he has taken is in the outfield. It’s just a position he didn’t play a whole lot. Doing it at the big-league level is not the easiest. So I think watching him mature and age a little bit, I think has been huge.”
A new mentality
Caglianone arrived this spring with a different outlook. He gained experience playing in the World Baseball Classic with Team Italy and it culminated with a positive start to the 2026 campaign.
“Just really trying to simplify, not trying to do anything I don’t know. That makes my mind think too much,” Caglianone said. “So just trying to go up there and try to have a team at-bat. At the end of the day, just want to win. So stacking those, and I think by the end of it, you look up and be in a good spot.”
The Royals noticed the different demeanor. The club wanted him to maintain his aggressiveness but be smarter about his pitch selection. There were flashes last season but it’s been more pronounced so far in 2026.
Caglianone already has more walks (20) and a higher OPS (.804) than he had all of last season. Entering Thursday’s action, Caglianone’s batting average is over 100 points higher (.275) and he has more hits (56) in similar plate appearances.
“I think he is starting to make some adjustments to the league, the way pitchers are pitching him and his preparation is better,” Picollo said. “So I think he has done a really good job. Not necessarily that the results are where we think they will be, but the improvements are definitely there.”
The Royals are still waiting for the power to take hold. However, in the last week, the signs are starting to show.
Since May 15, Caglianone is hitting .342 with eight extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. He also reached base in 20 of 32 plate appearances in June.
And defensively, Caglianone has five outfield assists. He recorded his latest one Wednesday against the Rangers.
“He’s showing signs of moving in the right direction,” Picollo said. “I’d like to think what he went through last year is helping him move in the right direction this year.”
More to come
As Caglianone celebrates his first full year in the majors, he knows that his work is far from finished. The Royals want to see him develop into a proven offensive threat alongside the starting core of Witt, Pasquantino, Perez and Maikel Garcia.
And Caglianone is on his way. He leads the majors in June with a .538 batting average, .625 on-base percentage and 1.587 OPS.
It’s a hot streak that could be the start of something special.
“(The at-bats), they’ve come a long way,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, he’s getting some at-bats against lefties and doing a great job with that. … His at-bats overall have been really quality.”
Caglianone hopes to keep it going. And if it all works out, he will develop into the hitter the Royals envisioned when he was selected sixth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft.
“You know, (I’m) focusing on my strengths and not giving into their (opposing teams’) plans,” Caglianone said.
