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Former Florida Star Makes Web Gem Worthy Play
Jerome Miron - Imagn Images

Former Florida Gators star Jac Caglianone is known for his light-tower power.

A six-foot-five, 250-pound first baseman, Caglianone slugged a jaw-dropping .875 in his final year at Florida, launching 35 home runs in 66 games.

Caglianone also earned a reputation as a hard-throwing lefty, striking out 170 batters in 148.1 innings from 2023 to 2024. What Caglianone didn't do, which isn't much, is track down line drives and rob home runs in the outfield.

On Sunday, the 22-year-old did just that, as the Kansas City Royals organization has been using him as a corner outfielder to fast-track his development and get his bat into the lineup at the major league level.

In a 2-2 tie against the San Diego Padres, Kansas City relief pitcher Lucas Erceg was facing a two-on, one-out eighth-inning situation against the heart of the opposing team's order. Erceg hung a changeup to star San Diego outfielder Jackson Merrill, with the budding All-Star launching a high fly ball to deep right field.

Caglianone, with just 24 games of action in right field since his time with the Florida Gators, tracked the ball to the wall, making a leap and using all of his six-foot-five frame to bring the ball back into play with a stunning game-saving play.

Caglianone's heroics kept the game tied, but San Diego would eventually hit a walk-off ground ball in the bottom of the ninth after blanking Kansas City in the top of the frame. Caglianone flashed the leather but went hitless in four at-bats, with his batting average dipping to .203 across 17 games.

Caglianone is just 1-for-9 in his last nine games but was hitting .322 with a .982 OPS across two levels in the minor leagues before his call-up. 

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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