Royals Breakout Candidate: Why Top Prospect is MLB's Next Star Slugger

The Royals need to see all of their young players take a big step forward this season...

Mar 14, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) and center fielder Jakob Marsee (5) and outfielder Nick Morabito (7) celebrate after the game against Puerto Rico during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Royals fast-tracked their top prospect, Jac Caglianone, to the big leagues last season because of how dominant he was in the minor leagues.

But once Caglianone got to the big leagues, he began struggling. In fact, he was one of the worst-qualified players in the league, which was quite shocking to see considering he was one of the most highly touted prospects in baseball.

Still, he has all the traits to be a breakout player this season.

Keith Law of The Athletic recently tabbed Caglianone as one of the biggest breakout star candidates of the season for the Royals.

Jac Caglianone is a star in the making for the Royals

Mar 28, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) hits a double against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

"I feel like everyone and their brother is calling for a Caglianone breakout this year, and why not, given how incredibly hard he hits the ball and how well he hit everything up through Triple A," Law wrote. "He’s already off to a torrid start this spring between his time with the Royals and his caffeine-laden stint with Team Italy. (I love espresso, but there’s no way my heart or stomach could survive drinking that much.)

"He was awful in his big-league debut last year, and I think a big part of that is that he never stayed at any level long enough for opposing teams to adjust to him and force him to adjust back. He also became an extreme groundball hitter, with nearly a quarter of his balls hit in play pulled on the ground — a recipe for a low BABIP. He’s never been that hitter before, and he doesn’t look like that hitter this spring. It’s not sustainable; if he’s really that guy, we all missed on him in the MLB Draft."

Caglianone hits the ball hard seemingly every time he makes contact. His max exit velocity ranks near the top of the league. His average exit velocity does, too.

But he had an issue with chasing bad pitches last season. He was also quite unlucky on the balls he put in play.

With all of his raw ability, Caglianone should see a massive step up in production this season. Caglianone is two for seven with a double this season. He's going to need to continue hitting the ball hard while pulling it in the air if he wants to see a major breakout this season.

He has all the traits. It's unlikely he gets as unlucky as he did last season. There are a lot of good reasons to indicate that Caglianone will break out this season.