Royals Promote John Rave And Nick Loftin: Is Jac Caglianone Next?

With a 15-game hitting streak, power surge, and defensive reps in the outfield, Jac Caglianone is making a strong case for a call-up as the Royals juggle roster options and evaluate John Rave and Nick Loftin.

The Kansas City Royals draft Jac Caglianone as the sixth pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Six games into his AAA career, Jac Caglianone has a six-game hitting streak (9-for-26 with five runs, five home runs, and 10 RBI), that includes a home run in four consecutive starts (5 total HRs). He has a hit or more in 15 games in a row, leading to a .318 batting average with 12 runs, six home runs, 22 home runs, and one steal while minimizing the damage in strikeouts (9 – 12.7%).

Over his 44 games, between AA and AAA, Caglianone is hitting .320 with 34 runs, 14 home runs, 54 RBIs, and two stolen bases over 178 at-bats. His strikeout rate (20.3) is slightly better than the league average, with a favorable walk rate (9.4). The Royals have shifted him to the outfield recently (10 games – three at AAA).

Kansas City called up journeyman outfielder John Rave on Sunday after his best start to his career at AAA (.301/46/9/25/17 over 173 at-bats). Over the two previous seasons, his bat had a lower profile at AAA (.250/127/28/98/21 over 765 at-bats). He will take walks (12.8% at AAA) with a below-par strikeout rate (23.9). Rave saw his first major league at-bat on Sunday (5/26) at age 27 (0-2 with a walk, two strikeouts, and a sacrifice).

John Rave will make his MLB debut today. https://t.co/4imfDZswRj

— Royals Review (@royalsreview) May 26, 2025

The Royals also added Nick Loftin over the weekend after showing an impressive approach (39 walks and 22 strikeouts over 139 at-bats) this season at AAA. Over this span, he hit .295 with 27 runs, four home runs, 24 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. Kansas City has given him 216 at-bats of experience over the past three seasons (.227/26/1/25/3), but Loftin has yet to find his major league stride. This season, he’s played at 1B (2), 2B (4), 33 (33), and OF (2).

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/w0uXq9VqHP

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 23, 2025

Rave will have a short window to prove his worth in the majors. The Royals have no choice but to call up Caglianone soon, once he has a few more games under his belt in the outfield. On the major league roster, Kansas City has room for two bats at left and right field, along with some overflow at DH when Salvador Perez is behind the plate.