The Kansas City Royals are sputtering in their attempt to follow up 2024's postseason berth. Bobby Witt Jr. is still a five-tool superstar, but the lineup around him has faltered. Kansas City ranks 27th of 30 teams in runs scored and dead last in home runs. This team needs some slugging help.
As it so happens, Kansas City has a top-10 prospect with serious slug in first baseman Jac Caglianone, who has a .953 OPS and 15 home runs through 50 games with Triple-A Omaha this season. Now, he's on his way to the big leagues for the first time.
Caglianone will presumably transition to the outfield with Vinnie Pasquantino occupying first base. This gives the Royals some much-needed pop in the heart of the lineup. Don't be shocked if Caglianone is batting cleanup before long, as he packs a serious punch at the plate.
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Royals finally call up Jac Caglianone in effort to revive struggling offense
This feels long overdue. We're only a third of the way through the season, but Kansas City could have used Calgianone on Opening Day. Sure, it's always smarter to take the patient approach with a 22-year-old, and even Caglianone's Triple-A experience is limited. But fans have been clamoring for this for weeks, if not months. The offense desperately needs the shot in the arm.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Caglianone resembles a linebacker more than a baseball player. He just looks like a slugger. Nothing is ever guaranteed when transitioning from the minors to the pros, but Caglianone has been rocketing moonshots since his days on a highly successful Florida Gators team. The track record is strong, and he joins a Royals will very little slugging. Only Bobby Witt and Maikel Garcia boast an OPS over .800 right now.
Kansas City won't have any problem sticking Caglianone in right field full time, but it will be interesting to follow when (or if) he takes over first base duties from Pasquantino. The 27-year-old has been a mess at the plate all season and Caglianone figures to outpace him rather substantially. Perhaps the Royals view Caglianone as more valuable in the outfield, but it's not his natural position and, if there's a weakness to his game, it's probably defense. In fact, Pasquantino is in the 94th percentile for defensive range at first base — perhaps he ends up better suited to an outfield relocation down the road.
However the Royals slice it, Caglianone should provide an instant boost to this lineup, potentially taking them from a fringe Wild Card team to a real postseason threat.