Jac Caglianone Primed for Breakout Year Based on Advanced Analytics

The Kansas City Royals fast tracked top prospect Jac Caglianone to the big leagues last year because he was destroying minor league pitching. He seemingly proved all that he needed to prove at any level of baseball besides the big leagues.

But when he got to Kansas City, he was below average. In fact, Caglianone was one of the worst players in the sport during his time at the big league level. Still, he's likely going to stick in Kansas City's lineup for years to come.

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Eno Sarris of The Athletic recently did a deep dive into the advanced analytics of Caglianone and suggested that the young slugger should see a major bounce back season in 2026, specifically noting his bat speed as one of his top traits.

Jac Caglianone has the tools, bat speed to be a superstar

Sep 20, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone (14) reacts after being hit by a pitch during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

"You don’t necessarily need to know that Caglianone has top-10 type Bat Speed to know that he could be a beast this year," Sarris wrote. "But it is nice to see that he has more Bat Speed than Kyle Schwarber, Nick Kurtz and Aaron Judge — though he makes contact a little further out in front than Judge, so we’ll have to say 'maybe' on that one.

"Rubbing elbows with these kinds of stars seems to suggest the power is going to come for Caglianone. His swing is a little flat, and he hit a few too many ground balls last year, but the fences at Kauffman Stadium are coming in, and this top pick is about to blast off. Even if you use swing shape, along with Bat Speed to find a comp, he’s got a great one — Junior Caminero."

Caglianone has all the traits to be a star. He's very similar to players like Junior Caminero, who has incredible in game power.

But the Royals will need these advanced analytics and expected stats to begin turning into production on the field. He's a below average outfield defender, so he's going to need to hit higher than .157, which he hit last season, if he wants to stay in the lineup long term.

But given how well he's hit every level of pitching combined with his incredible 77.4 mile per hour average bat speed, the Royals should see a huge uptick in production from the young slugger this season.

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