Royals' Jac Caglianone makes 2026 Home Run Derby decision

Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Royals' Jac Caglianone makes 2026 Home Run Derby decision

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Jul 8, 2026 2:16 PM ET

Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone will be participating in his first Home Run Derby this season, he announced on MLB Network’s studios.

He will also be the Royals' first participant since 2024, when Bobby Witt Jr. crushed 50 homers as the runner-up to winner Teoscar Hernandez.

This year's Derby will take place at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies. For the first time, the event will be streamed on Netflix on July 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

As the third official participant in the event, Caglianone is an underdog in the competition against sluggers Ben Rice and Junior Caminero. But the 23-year-old has hit 14 home runs this season with an elite bat speed of 77.2 mph that sits in the 97th percentile. There are five more participants who are expected to enter the Derby, including Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Caglianone's power surge in June is what makes him a prime candidate for the Derby, as he hit nine of his 14 home runs in that month. While he has only hit a career 21 home runs, he has showcased dominant power this season.

The Royals’ Jac Caglianone went to MLB Network’s studios this morning to announce he’s participating in the Home Run Derby on MLB Central.

Our @Sam_Neumann_ recently wrote about the power of MLB Central’s in-studio player spots:https://t.co/gOjv35ZLFr pic.twitter.com/ZktVjglFLT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 8, 2026

Jac Caglianone is making his presence known this season

He will be the sixth Royals hitter to compete in the Home Run Derby, alongside Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (1991), Mike Moustakas (2017), Salvador Perez (2021) and Witt (2024). But the southpaw slugger has always harnessed power.

He held a dominant slugging percentage of .875 in 2024 and hit 33 home runs in 2023 while playing college baseball for the Florida Gators. He is expected to reach elite exit velocities, as he owns an average exit velocity of 93.7 mph that sits in the 96th percentile this season. His prodigious power will be on full display in Philadelphia.

Across his first 54 games, he held an 89 wRC+. In his last 30 games, he has logged an improved 148 wRC+, showcasing his resurgence as a productive hitter for the Royals this season.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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