What to Expect from Royals First Baseman Jac Caglianone

Armed with a big swing that he leverages well — somewhat similar to the Wake Forest first baseman drafted just ahead of him — Caglianone fits the build as a prototypical, above-average power hitter. He’s got the bat speed to be an effective power hitter.

And on top of that, Caglianone eased concerns about the hit tool.

Caglianone struck out often as a sophomore at Florida, with 58 strikeouts juxtaposed to 17 walks. That number changed greatly as a junior and this season, Caglianone struck out 72 times over 355 cumulative plate appearances (20.3% K%) this season.

He posted a 23.3% Whiff% in limited Triple-A action. However, a concerning number from his time in Triple-A was a 32% Chase% rate. That chase number is something to watch, despite the small sample size. During this AFL this past fall, Caglianone often chased pitches out of the zone.

Defensively, Caglianone is a first baseman by trade. However, the Royals have experimented with moving into the outfield in recent weeks. Caglianone only has 14 games of pro experience in the outfield, most of which were focused on right field. He played 12 games in right and two in left.

When Jac Caglianone officially makes his MLB debut with the Royals, he’ll become the third first-round pick from 2024 to make it to the Majors. Cam Smith (Astros) and Nick Kurtz (Athletics) debuted earlier this year.

Analysis

For a second, forget about what the Royals need at the MLB level.

Obviously, that is a concern at the moment. But, the Royals wouldn’t be making this move unless the team believed he’s ready for this moment. Even though Caglianone hit well over two weeks in Triple-A, he proved a couple of things.

One, he’s got little to prove in the Minors at this point. And two, he got more work in the outfield, something that opens up more options for him in KC.

And yes, Caglianone can help boost a Royals team that sits 26th in the Majors in slugging percentage (.359).

What will also be interesting to see is how well Caglianone can adjust to the outfield, essentially on the fly. He’s a big man at 6’7” and roughly 250 pounds and isn’t a natural fit per se out there.

However, with Vinnie Pasquantino playing first in Kansas City, it opened an alternative path for Caglianone to make it to the MLB level. Especially, when taking into account none of the Royals’ three regulars this season — Jonathan India, Kyle Isbel, and the recently-released Hunter Renfroe — have an OPS of .700 or better this season.