Royals Predicted To Quickly Promote No. 1 Prospect In 2025 Roster Surprise
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One of the top storylines of the 2025 Kansas City Royals' season, just behind their pursuit of a second-straight playoff berth, will be their handling of their number-one prospect.
Kansas City's 2024 first-round pick, first baseman Jac Caglianone, has superstar writter all over him. He's currently MLB.com's top prospect in the Kansas City system, and the number-22 prospect in all of Major League Baseball.
The last slam-dunk top prospect the Royals had, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., has panned out pretty darned well so far. He's already the first shortstop in MLB history with two 30-homer, 30-stolen base seasons, and he's done it before his 25th birthday.
Having only reached High-A in 2024, there's not necessarily a fantastic opportunity for Caglianone to climb all the way to the big leagues in 2025. Yet one Royals writer believes he's bound to do it.
In a recent article outlining several "bold predictions" for the Royals' 2024 season, FOX 4 Kansas City's Dillon Seekington tabbed Caglianone to make his highly-anticipated MLB debut earlier than expected--before the end of 2025.
"If Caglianone can improve his swing, vision and decision-making at the dish, he could be just what the doctor ordered for the Royals. It’s never a good idea to rush any athlete into the spotlight, though, and the Royals will surely take their time," Seekington wrote.
"This might be one of the boldest takes on this list, but considering the current state of the team, what players and coaches have said and done regarding Jac Caglianone and the young slugger’s progression so far, it’s not out of the question."
Caglianone hit his first home run of the spring on Sunday, though it's not as though he has a realistic chance to make the team out of camp. No one questions his power, but to climb quickly through the minors, he'll need to show he's not overly prone to strikeouts (26 in 29 games last season).
It's tough to say what the ideal situation for the Royals would be for Caglianone to get the call. They're a playoff contender and they have a good first baseman in Vinnie Pasquantino. Sometimes, though, a prospect can make it impossible for his team to deny him his shot.
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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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