Where Does Royals Star Jac Caglianone Rank On Latest Top 100 Prospects List?
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The Kansas City Royals may not have the deepest farm system in all of Major League Baseball, but the excitement about the top of that farm system is palpable.
Last July, the Royals nabbed former University of Florida standout Jac Caglianone with the number-six pick in the first round. Caglianone was a two-way player in college, but his MLB future appears to be at first base, where he possesses one of the best power tools of any prospect in the sport.
The 6-foot-5 Caglianone has electrified fans in spring training, too. Not just Royals fans, but fans across the sport who can't wait to see his 115-mile-per-hour exit velocities regularly occur on the big stage.
So with all that said, where does Caglianone rank among the best prospects in the game? He appears on one site's latest Top 100 list, but not as high as some might expect--or hope.
On Monday, Just Baseball released its Top 100 list, and Caglianone was ranked the 29th-best prospect in baseball. For comparison, MLB.com currently has Caglianone at number 22.
"(Caglianone) possesses 40 home run upside from the left side with good enough bat-to-ball to get into it, but his small pro sample in both High-A and the Arizona Fall League were likely enough of an indicator that the big slugger needs to refine some things mechanically in the box to get there," the site's authors wrote.
With three home runs in 12 at-bats so far in spring training, Caglianone has looked every bit the part of a future cleanup hitter in MLB. But as is referenced in his prospect ranking from Just Baseball, the lefty did go through some struggles in High-A, putting up a .690 OPS in 29 games.
However, there are few players, not only in the minors, but in the entire sport, who possess the type of raw power Caglianone has already demonstrated. He's got superstar potential, and that gives him a solid chance to make any of his current prospect rankings look silly in hindsight.
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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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