Kansas City Royals fans were delighted on Sunday, despite their team’s excruciating 1-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, when news leaked that their team’s top prospect, the No. 10 overall prospect in the game, Jac Caglianone, was on his way to the big leagues.
After an off-day Monday, the Royals begin an “I-70 series” against regional rivals the Cardinals, in St. Louis where Caglianone is expected to make his MLB debut.
Caglianone’s rise has been blindingly rapid. The No. 6 overall draft pick last year, out of Florida, Caglianone will join the Royals’ Major League club after just 79 minor league games, including a mere 12 at the Triple-A level.
More HRs Than All KC Outfielders Combined
In only 50 plate appearances for the Omaha Storm Chasers, Kansas City’s top affiliate, Caglianone belted six home runs out his 14 total hits, leading to a stunning 1.147 OPS. But the super-prospect is more than a great hitter. In college he was a Shohei Ohtani-like two way player.
As a left-handed pitcher, the six-foot-five, 250-pound Caglianone won 12 games and lost six in 34 starts over his two years with the Gators in the SEC. He posted a 4.55 ERA, however, with a 1.47 WHIP — which may be the reason that he agreed to focus solely on hitting, and playing first base, as a professional in the Royals system.
The Royals, however, plan to convert their top prospect to right field where he could help the Royals with their most acute deficiency — outfield depth. The Royals have used five outfielders this season. The whole group has combined for six home runs — the same number that Caglianone has already his in his 11 Triple-A games.
“Even if he’s an immediate impact bat for the lineup, there could be some growing pains in the outfield,” wrote Yahoo! Sports senior writer Nick Bromberg. “After pitching and playing first base for the Gators, Caglianone has shifted to the outfield and is still learning the corner positions.”
In 49 games between Double-A and Triple-A this season, the power-swinging prospect has tallied 15 homers, which is why the Royals apparently believe that he can provide an instant jolt to Kansas City’s floundering offense. Though they ended the weekend two games over .500 at 31-29, the Royals have scored fewer runs, 194, than any other team, save for the 22-38 Pittsburgh Pirates — who have also scored 194 — and the historically futile (9-50) Colorado Rockies at 184.
White Sox, Rockies Snubbed Super-Prospect
Given Caglianone’s prodigious power numbers — in 165 games at Florida, he blasted 75 home runs, averaging one round-tripper every 10 plate appearances — five teams passed on him at the top of the 2024 draft. Those teams include the anemic Rockies who instead used the No. 3 overall pick on another SEC player, Georgia’s Charlie Condon — the 2024 Golden Spikes Award winner and SEC Player of the Year.
The Chicago White Sox, who set a modern MLB record for losses in a season with 121 last year, also snubbed Caglianone. The South Siders used the No. 5 pick on Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Hagen Smith, who is now ranked as the 30th overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
The southpaw Smith is the No. 3 ranked prospect for the White Sox, and their second-ranked pitcher.
Meanwhile, in Boston, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Roman Anthony, continues to languish at Triple-A Worcester after 87 Triple-A games in which has hit 11 home runs, put together a batting average of .321 with an OPS of .954.
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Top Prospect Jac Caglianone Slated For Highly Anticipated MLB Debut on Tuesday