Jac Caglianone’s bat turned heads in Gainesville. Now, the spotlight shifts to Kansas City.
After months of speculation, the Royals have officially called up the Florida Gator baseball legend, hoping his power at the plate translates to production at the Major League level.
But while fans in Florida watched him dominate SEC pitching with towering home runs, with the charisma and swagger at the plate and on the basepath to match, the transition to MLB, particularly in a market like Kansas City, makes for an intriguing culture clash.
The hype is undeniable. Caglianone hit 35 home runs in his final collegiate season and posted a slugging percentage north of .750.
But for all his raw power, there are concerns about his plate discipline, ability to adjust to professional opposition on the mound, and how his swing will play in a stadium that doesn’t exactly favor left-handed power.
"Multiple outlets report that the 2024 first-round pick will have his contract selected before Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals. The left-handed hitter has massive power in his left-handed stroke, and while he is prone to strikeouts, the ball jumps off his bat; giving him a chance to be a contributor in the average category as well. There’s some obvious risk with using a rookie in your lineup and particularly one who will swing and miss, but there’s an enormous amount of upside in hie left-handed bat as well," NBC Sports' Christopher Crawford wrote.
Kauffman Stadium is a pitcher's park, particularly with the deep right-center alley, which stretches out to 387 feet. For a lefty slugger like Caglianone, that could spell trouble.
Balls that would have cleared the wall in Florida might hang up and die in Kansas City’s heavy air.
And when your offensive game is built around punishing mistakes for 400-foot souvenirs, turning would-be home runs into flyouts can wreck confidence.
Then there’s the strikeout issue.
At Florida, Caglianone struck out in nearly 24% of his plate appearances during his final season. That rate is manageable in college, but at the major league level, where off-speed pitches bite harder and pitchers live on the black, it raises red flags.
If pitchers learn quickly that Jac chases out of the zone, he may find himself struggling to stay above the Mendoza Line early in his Royals tenure.
Fantasy baseball managers should be intrigued, but cautious. Caglianone has the kind of ceiling that justifies a speculative pickup in deep leagues, especially those with dynasty or keeper formats.
However, his power may not translate right away in a park like Kauffman, and if strikeout issues persist, he could lose playing time or drop in the batting order. For redraft leagues, he’s a high-risk stash with boom-or-bust potential.
Caglianone could hit 10 homers in two months or be back in Triple-A before July.
Of course, Kansas City isn’t just different in terms of stadium dimensions. It’s a cultural shift. The buzz of a college town like Gainesville, packed with students and tradition, is a far cry from the slower, quieter rhythm of Midwest baseball.
The Royals haven’t been contenders in years, and the fanbase, while loyal, isn’t showing up in droves. The energy Caglianone fed off in Florida -- the rowdy crowds, ESPN cameras, and SEC stakes -- might be harder to find in front of 12,000 in a mostly-empty stadium on a Tuesday in June.
Still, this is a gamble the Royals had to take. Their offense has lacked a true power bat, and Caglianone brings that.
He has time. He has talent. And he has the kind of swing that can electrify a franchise if everything clicks.
But the clock starts now.
Whether he adjusts to the size of the park, the caliber of pitching, and the vibe of the big leagues will determine if Caglianone becomes Kansas City’s next star or just another college legend whose game didn’t translate to the majors.