Jac Caglianone Is Doing Everything He Can to Force a Call-Up
A Blog By Robbie
Without sugarcoating it, the Kansas City Royals’ offence has been atrocious throughout the first stretch of the 2025 regular season. Here’s how they currently rank:
AVG: 22nd
OBP: 25th
SLG: 29th
OPS: 28th
HR's: 30th (15)
However, down in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, they’ve got themselves a stud in Jac Caglianone, MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 prospect, who’s been absolutely raking and could inject some much-needed life into Kansas’ struggling offence. Caglianone’s name was called 6th overall by the Royals MLB Draft last year after leading the University of Florida to the College World Series in 2024 after hitting 35 home runs and raising his OPS to 1.419. Fast forward a year, and you’ll find him leading the Texas League in RBI with 23 while slashing .301/.376/.495 paired with four home runs and six extra base hits in 23 games. Here is why you should keep an eye on Jac Caglianone this season, and hopefully for years to come.
Jac has lived up to the hype thus far, while stunning scouts and fans with a 120 mph exit velocity single, which was so absurd that people online were debating whether it was a misread. Highlighted on the 22-year-old’s MLB.com’s prospect profile, his power was debatably the best in the 2024 class. His power and mind-boggling bat speeds come from his tank-like 6’5, 250-pound frame. Caglinone really started gaining attention during this year’s Spring Training. Down in the Cactus League, he pounded three massive homers and posted a 1.871 OPS in 17 at-bats. It’s also worth noting that his eye at the plate looked better, as he had more walks (five) than strikeouts (three), while also improving defensively at first base. Jac, Kansas City’s top prospect, chases a whole lot, demonstrated by his 39% chase rate in 2024, and a current 22.9% strikeout rate. That being said, the plate coverage is phenomenal, so he can still do severe damage on pitches located in spots where other hitters cannot get to.
Scout the Statline (StS) projects the slugger to hit 19 home runs, 68 RBI and a 99.8 wRC+ in his debut season, when that time arrives. The StS Aggregator model also places a hit tool of 45. Even though Jac has been great this year, the model factors in more than recent performance, which is why the projections may seem a little slim. One of the factors that the model adheres to is age-for-level, a category in which he did not perform great, although he still was not bad. He has a couple of factors in favour of his projection, though. Since his sample size is still relatively small, his StS projections will change quickly if he continues to perform and improve. Additionally, he has elite bat speed, which boosts his overall projections.
Why Jac Caglianone Should Be On Your Radar
✅ Explosive Raw Power: Jac Caglianone’s 80-grade power is top of the line. Down in Florida during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he smashed 68 home runs across 137 games, including thunderous exit velocities.
✅ High-Impact Batting Profile: Jac Caglianone’s left-handed swing generates elite bat speed, producing a 136 wRC+ in 2025 Double-A play. Back at the University of Florida, he hit a towering nuke that clocked in at 516 feet. Jac has also shown that he can draw walks (11 BB% in 2025)
✅ Underrated Defensive Skills: Jac Caglianone’s defence at first base is improving, with his 6’5 frame providing a massive target for infielders. In this year’s Spring Training, he demonstrated smoother footwork around the bag, earning praise from Royals GM J.J. Picollo.
The Path to Kauffman Stadium
The Royals’ outfield, which features MJ Melendez (.085 AVG), Kyle Isbel (.250 AVG), and Hunter Renfroe (.167 AVG), has been a weak link for the 2025 Royals. Jac Caglianone’s 80-grade power and remarkable slashline make him a prime candidate to force a lineup change, or at least a promotion to Triple-A Omaha. Like how Houston treated their top prospect Cam Smith, Jac has been getting exposure in the corner outfield (two games in right field so far). His arm would certainly play in one of the corner outfield spots, as it’s above average. Despite a logjam first base/DH situation with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez in control, his outfield reps and Spring Training dominance could result in a midseason call-up. The front office in Kansas has mentioned that they want to take their time with Jac, but it truly cannot be too much longer if the big league club keeps struggling while he keeps on raking.
Let the kids play