Royals 23-Year-Old Phenom Primed for Breakout Year in Kansas City

The Royals should have high expectations for Jac Caglianone in year two of his big-league career...

Sep 17, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) celebrates with second baseman Tyler Tolbert (2) after scoring against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals should be very excited coming into the season. They're full of young talent and they're seemingly healthier now than they were at any point last season. Their starting rotation is hoping for full years from Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, the team's top two arms. Neither were able to throw more than 20 starts last season.

But there are also a few young guys who haven't burst onto the scene yet, but are primed for big years in 2026. Catcher Carter Jensen is one of the first names to come to mind, but there's one other guy who stands out among the rest.

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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently listed Royals young phenom Jac Caglianone as the team's most likely breakout player for the upcoming season. Caglianone is one of the best prospects in baseball, but he had a brutal first stint in the big leagues last season.

Royals should see a bounce back year from Jac Caglianone

Sep 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

"Following back-to-back 30-homer seasons at the University of Florida, Caglianone was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 draft," Reuter wrote. "He hit .337/.408/.617 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI in 66 games between Double-A and Triple-A last year to force his way into the MLB picture. After taking his lumps at the plate while learning to play right field on the fly, he has the offensive tools to take a massive step forward in 2026."

To be quite honest, Caglianone was horrible last season. Some people could use last season to make the point that he's not ready for the big leagues.

But Caglianone has been dominant at every stop before last season. He dominated college baseball like almost no other player in the country. He surged through the minor leagues as quickly as possible without being rushed.

There's no reason to believe Caglianone will continue to struggle at the big league level. In fact, the Royals should be assuming the opposite. He's the perfect candidate to bounce back and hit 25 or 30 home runs this season if he finds his stride. Strikeouts may be an issue, but that's the case for a lot of the league's best sluggers. If Caglianone can get the ball in the air to the pull side more often this year, the Royals will be in good shape.

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