Jac Caglianone’s Heater Is a Welcome Sight for the Royals

Not much has gone the way of the Kansas City Royals this season.

The American League has been a bit of a train wreck, with a sub-.500 record often being good enough for the final postseason spot. However, at 35–50 and seven games back of that final wild-card position, the Royals find themselves firmly at the bottom of the AL. In a crowded but underwhelming race for October baseball, Kansas City is effectively out of contention.

That said, even the worst teams in baseball are rarely devoid of bright spots, and the Royals are no exception. While Bobby Witt Jr.’s MVP chase has understandably taken center stage, Jac Caglianone’s recent surge has emerged as a strong secondary storyline.

The former top prospect has at long last shown up for Kansas City after a particularly slow start to the season and an even poorer rookie campaign in 2025. Through 102 plate appearances in the month of June, Caglianone is slashing .322/.402/.678 with a 193 wRC+. Nine of his 14 home runs this year have come in June, as have 19 of his 30 RBIs.

With an offense that may not be as brutal as they were last season, they still haven’t been anything to write home about. So, Caglianone’s performance has exposed them to new horizons. But he hasn’t just been a revelation to their lineup, he’s becoming one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball.

Stats were taken prior to play on June 30.

Jac Caglianone Is Budding Into the MLB Star Many Expected Him To Be

Even before Caglianone entered the league, his trademark calling card was his immense power. While his two-way stardom might’ve been at the forefront of focus at Florida, strictly from an offensive standpoint, his home run ability stole the show.

Caglianone went back-to-back seasons in his sophomore and junior campaigns with 30+ homers, belting 33 in year two and 35 in year three with respective slugging percentages of .738 and .875.

Then came the pros, and after being selected sixth overall, Caglianone stole the show in his first “full” pro season in 2025.

He slashed .337/.408/.617 with 20 homers, 72 RBI and a 170 wRC+ in just 66 games between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha before being called up to the majors in June — less than a year after he was drafted.

Now, we all saw just how overmatched Caglianone looked in his first taste of the majors, only mustering a 46 wRC+ while dealing with an injury in the summer. However, the the bust conversation never really occurred when it came to Caglianone entering the 2026 season. The overarching thought was that perhaps he just needed time to get his feet underneath him.

And despite a slower start this season, once the Royals really just took the training wheels off of him and let him loose against both lefties and righties, the 23-year-old slugger came alive.

To put his aforementioned June heater in perspective, his 1.080 OPS and 193 wRC+ rank fourth in MLB. From a run production standpoint, his nine homers this month trail only Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (13), Washington’s Luis García Jr. (11), and Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong (10).

Looking even further at his underlying metrics in 2026, June has just been an example of how Caglianone must be considered one of the league’s most feared hitters with out-of-this-world quality of contact and expected metrics.

Stat Type	2026 Result	2026 MLB Percentile Ranking
Hard-Hit %	58.4%	99th percentile
Barrel %	16.9%	95th percentile
AVG Exit Velocity	94.0 mph	97th percentile
Bat Speed	77.1 mph	96th percentile
LA Sweet Spot %	38.8%	87th percentile
xBA	.278	83rd percentile
xSLG	.527	94th percentile
xwOBA	.376	92nd percentile

Now, what this means for the Royals in particular is that perhaps they’ve found the Robin to Witt’s Batman in the lineup.

Maikel Garcia may’ve been that guy entering the year and is still a wizard defensively at third base, but he looks far from the All-Star and Silver Slugger he was in 2025. He’s sporting just a .693 OPS and 91 wRC+ this season. While his lingering hand injury may be a reason for this, he’s still reverted somewhat back to his unenthusiastic pre-2025 form.

Then there’s Vinnie Pasquantino, who, to his credit, did find a way to raise his game after a putrid start before hitting the IL. However, the fact remains that he still sits at an 81 wRC+, with familiar injury concerns resurfacing after he broke his hamate bone earlier this month.

Then there’s Salvador Perez, who hasn’t just declined in his twilight years — he’s plummeted violently. While still the captain and a respected clubhouse leader, he looks far from a starting-caliber catcher at this stage of his career.

In 327 plate appearances this season, Perez is slashing just .200/.242/.331 with a 52 wRC+. He still offers some power, with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs, but the passing of the torch to Carter Jensen may already be well underway.

With so much inconsistency in the middle of the order — and Jensen taking over at the top — the Royals need stability behind Bobby Witt Jr. in the two-hole. Caglianone’s recent hot streak may be a sign that he can be that guy.