Despite posting enormous numbers this spring, Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone (MLB Pipeline’s No. 22 overall) will not be breaking camp with the big league team. Instead, the former Florida Gators standout will start his 2025 season in Double-A, it was revealed on Monday. Caglianone has a.529/.636/1.235 batting line in 17 games this spring. This includes three tape-measured home runs, an OPS of 1.871, and an average exit velocity of 94.6. To put that into context, only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Pirates’ O’Neil Cruz had a greater average exit velocity last season.
“I think I showed what I’m capable of,” Caglianone told MLB.com. “I came out here wanting to perform. Get to know everyone. Get comfortable out here. And I believe I did it. I definitely learned a lot. Being around a bunch of major leaguers was the most exciting thing ever.” He undoubtedly left an effect on his Royals teammates.
“I think he did an incredible job, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse, the way that he responded to the other guys, the way they responded to him,” said Matt Quatraro, the team’s manager. “You could tell he rapidly earned their respect for the manner he approached the situation. “He’s a pro, and it happened quickly.”
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Caglianone was taken sixth overall in the July draft and spent last summer in High-A with the Quad City River Bandits. He will now begin the season at a higher level, playing first base for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. It remains to be seen how quickly he rises to Triple-A Omaha, if not the major league team. However, if he continues to hit like he did in spring, he could soon become a regular at Kauffman Stadium.
