Minor League Baseball

Kansas City Royals Top Prospect Draws Praise For History-Making Homer in Spring Training

Jac Caglianone, selected in the first-round of the MLB draft last year, hit a home run during the first week of spring training that would have made the Royals record books if it had been in a real game.
Brady Farkas|
Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) runs after hitting a home run against the Kentucky Wildcats during the sixth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The 75th home run of his career, Caglianone breaks the Florida all-time home run record previously held by Matt LaPorta in 2024.
Florida Gators first baseman Jac Caglianone (14) runs after hitting a home run against the Kentucky Wildcats during the sixth inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The 75th home run of his career, Caglianone breaks the Florida all-time home run record previously held by Matt LaPorta in 2024. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

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Kansas City Royals

Through the first week and a half of spring training, we've seen several cool things and several big performances, including a home run from Kansas City Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone that had an exit velocity of 115.4 MPH.

The Royals' 2024 first-round pick (University of Florida) has drawn praise for his ability to make loud contact and that home run puts him in some rarified air.

Per MLB Pipeline:

Only 15 Major Leaguers hit even one home run 115 mph or harder in the 2024 season, and Caglianone's spring blast is the third-hardest homer by any Royals player since Statcast began tracking in 2015, with only Jorge Soler and Kendrys Morales ahead of the 22-year-old.

Recently, minor league baseball insider Sam Dykstra said that Caglianone had the best power of any prospect in the minor leagues. He's currently ranked as the No. 22 prospect in the sport, via MLB Pipeline, and he'll eventually pair with Bobby Witt Jr. to make an exciting nucleus for the Royals, who advanced to the ALDS last season.

Caglianone led the Gators to a College World Series berth in 2024, and because of his robust college experience, he could be a quick riser through the minor leagues. MLB.com predicts that he'll make his major league debut in 2026.

He hit .241 in 29 games after getting drafted last year, playing for High-A Quad Cities. He had two home runs and 14 RBI.

The Royals will continue Cactus League play for the next three weeks until Opening Day on March 27.

Related MiLB Stories

BYE, BYE BASALLO: Sam Basallo, who is a top-15 prospect in the sport, hit a massive home run for the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. CLICK HERE:

GETTING A SHOT: Kristian Campbell, a top-10 prospect in the sport, is reportedly getting every chance to earn the starting second base job for the Boston Red Sox. CLICK HERE:

JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are making some fun organizational history in 2025. CLICK HERE:

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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