Minor League Baseball

Kansas City Royals' Top Prospect Goes Viral Again, This Time for 120.9 mph Exit Velocity

First baseman Jac Caglianone continues to churn out unbelievable at-bats at Double-A Northwest Arkansas..
Jami Leabow|
The Kansas City Royals draft Jac Caglianone as the sixth pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 14, 2024.
The Kansas City Royals draft Jac Caglianone as the sixth pick during the first round of the MLB Draft at Cowtown Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 14, 2024. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

In this story:

Kansas City Royals

Jac Caglianone, the Kansas City Royals’ first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, is becoming a household name even before his first major league at-bat.

That’s because, in just his first week of pro ball in 2025, he’ s hit three memorable, headline-screaming shots for the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

“Jac Caglianone's first Double-A home run made it all the way out of the ballpark!,” MLB.com shared on social media last Saturday after his homer in Tulsa, Okla.

Three days later, MLB.com posted this:

“Jac Caglianone just BLASTED a 3-run homer to the moon.”

And then Thursday, there was this one from MLB Pipeline:

“120.9 mph?! @Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone rocketed a reported laser single.”

The hit quickly got through the hole at short, and the statistics started coming.

Minor league baseball writer Chris Clegg posted this to X on Thursday:

“The hardest hit ball by a Kansas City Royals ever in the statcast era was 118 mph by Eric Hosmer in 2017. Jac Caglianone had an opposite field single at 120.9 mph tonight in AA. Only 5 players in statcast history have hit a ball 120.9 or harder.”

Through his first six games A the Double-A level, Caglianone is hitting .346 (9-for-26) with two home runs and 11 RBIs.

MLB Pipeline lists the 22-year-old Caglianone as the No. 20 overall prospect in baseball and the top prospect at first base. It projects Caglianone will land with the Royals in 2026, but would a call-up for a sneak peek later in the season be a surprise?

Related MiLB Stories

HIGH PRAISE: Baseball America says the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, rank very high on the talent scale. CLICK HERE:

RARE BREED: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s new contract with the Toronto Blue Jays puts him in extremely rare company. CLICK HERE:

BASEBALL MEETS KENTUCKY DERBY: The Louisville Bats will pay homage to the Derby by wearing jerseys that look more like racing silks. CLICK HERE:

Published | Modified
Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

Home/NEWS