Royals Make Crucial Decision About Future Of No. 1 Prospect Jac Caglianone
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If Bobby Witt Jr. is the Kansas City Royals' present, Jac Caglianone may well be the future.
Okay, that's a bit dramatic, given that Witt is signed for the next 10 years and is a top-five player in Major League Baseball. But Caglianone, Kansas City's first-round pick in 2024, could eventually be the much-needed second superstar behind Witt to help propel the Royals to a championship.
Caglianone, the 6-foot-5 lefty, was drafted to both play first base and pitch. He did both at a high level at the University of Florida, hitting 35 home runs in 66 games in 2024 while striking out 83 batters in 73 2/3 innings on the mound.
Entering his first full season of pro ball, however, the Royals seem to have made a decision that will impact the rest of Caglianone's career. Pitching is out, and hitting bombs is in.
On Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported that the Royals are inviting Caglianone to big-league Spring Training, the first time they've done so for a first-year prospect since Alex Gordon in 2006. And more importantly, they plan for him to focus solely on hitting this season to fast-track his development.
"After discussing a plan for the upcoming season, Caglianone and the Royals agreed it was best to focus on hitting and playing first base to get him started in his career. He was all for it because he wants to help Kansas City win," Rogers wrote.
"And the sooner, the better. Caglianone is a physical beast with exceptional power potential. He won’t break camp with the Royals – it’s most likely he’ll start the year in Double-A – but no one is ruling out a quick ascension."
Caglianone, the sixth-overall pick in July's draft, currently ranks as MLB.com's No. 17 overall prospect, one of only two Royals farmhands in the Top 100. He had a .690 OPS in High-A in 126 plate appearances, and a .749 OPS in 100 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League.
The Royals are hoping 2025 is the year Caglianone rockets through the minor leagues, and they are giving him what they think is the perfect lane to do so. All that's left for the kid to do now is live up to the otherworldly talent he possesses with a bat in his hands.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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