Royals Gifted Potential MVP Candidate With Lucky MLB Draft Steal
By Joe Summers
The board broke perfectly for the Kansas City Royals on Sunday as they selected Florida 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
Projected as a potential first-overall selection and the No. 3 prospect entering the day at MLB.com, Caglianone has elite power and won the John Olerud Award as college baseball's best two-way player. He's expected to give up pitching to focus on hitting, though his pure power production gives the Royals a potential MVP candidate down the line.
ESPN broadcasters compared Caglianone to a left-handed Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper right after the pick, showcasing the kind of potential star who might soon join Bobby Witt Jr. in Kansas City.
Royals News: KC Drafts Florida 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone
The Kansas City Royals are selecting Jac Caglianone with the sixth pick in the MLB Draft. He was announced as a two-way player, but the expectation is he’s going to be a hitter only. And he’s a very good one.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 14, 2024
At the plate, Caglianone leaves your jaw dropped. He slashed .419/.544/.875 with 35 homers this year while tripling his walk total (17 to 58) and reducing his strikeouts from 58 to 26. Caglianone still has a high chase rate, though the hope is that he'll continue to develop his plate discipline while maintaining that raw power.
With 33 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2023, Caglianone has consistent, proven power in a difficult SEC conference. At six-foot-five and two hundred and fifty pounds, he's a mammoth of a man with impressive defensive chops for his size.
The #Royals receive a gift in Jac Caglianone falling to them at No. 6.
— Jack Johnson (@JohnyJ_15) July 14, 2024
Smacked 75 home runs in 3 years at Florida.
Slashed .419/.544/.875 with 35 home runs, 72 RBI and 58 walks in 66 games this year.
Ridiculous talent. pic.twitter.com/qUlJDKC3Ov
Some will chastise Caglianone's chase rate but it's rare to find a player with his ceiling outside of the top five picks.
In my opinion, this is a best-case scenario for J.J. Picollo and the Royals. Once pitchers Chase Burns and Hagen Smith went off the board, it was just a question of which high-upside player Kansas City would prefer. I believe they made the right choice.
Jac Caglianone in Omaha:
— Neil W. Blackmon (@nwblackmon) June 19, 2024
5-8, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 6 BB, 1 HBP, .800 OBP.
I’d compare that to the Golden Spikes finalists but none of them are still playing baseball. pic.twitter.com/8DBQpC6Mpk
Caglianone showed he can rise to the occasion in big games too, dominating during the College Baseball World Series against elevated competition. The Royals are being aggressive with their player-acquisition strategy and it's paying off.
Here's hoping Caglianone will soon be ready to contribute. At the very least, his power will get Royals fans excited quickly.
Jac Caglianone says the Royals will take the same approach to allowing him to pitch/hit as Florida did.
— Royals Review (@royalsreview) July 15, 2024
"Very thankful that they're giving me the opportunity to do both."
He told reporters shortly after his selection that the organization will let him pitch as well, changing the range of outcomes. If Caglianone, who touches speeds in the upper 90s and struck out 83 batters in 73.2 innings, can add value as a pitcher on top of his exceptional bat? This pick becomes even better.
Caglianone has undergone Tommy John surgery and has experienced command issues on the mound, though he's got potential as a reliever long-term. Comparisons to Shohei Ohtani are a bit much but either way, Caglianone brings a lot to the table for Royals fans to be excited about.
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