The process behind Caglianone transforming into a feared power hitter

In 2025, Jac Caglianone was searching. For results, for answers, for any shred of evidence that would tell him he was going to stick despite a rookie season that did not go as planned.

In 2026, Caglianone does not need to search anymore. He knows exactly what he needs to do every day to see the results that have established him not just as a big leaguer, but a key piece of the Royals’ core moving into next year and beyond.

Back in the lineup Wednesday as he manages ankle soreness, Caglianone went 0-for-4 in the Royals’ 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, snapping their nine-game winning streak. But getting him back on the field was a good development -- because there’s been no greater development than Caglianone’s this season. The outfielder is slashing .274/.376/.486 with 22 home runs this season and has proved himself to be one of the best power hitters in baseball.

When Caglianone was struggling last year, he lost his routine that allowed him to get out of the spiral. He showed up to the field trying something new every day, or worse, not knowing what to do. This offseason, he read Chop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf, which is about sticking with the process no matter the results. Caglianone found his process again over the winter, establishing a batting tee routine that helps with his swing’s foundation and a hitting progression that helps with positioning.

​

He carried that into the season and clicked with Royals assistant hitting coach Marcus Thames, whose extensive experience as a player and coach resonated with Caglianone.

“If I have a couple of days where I’m going bad, he pulls me into the video room and we analyze what’s going on,” Caglianone said. “He’s not somebody who’s going to try to overload you with so much stuff that you’re going to start thinking 20 different thoughts trying to make it click. He’s also got that player side to him where he can tell you to snap out of it when it needs to be said. I love that about him.”

And there have been times that Thames has had to tell Caglianone to snap out of it.

“He can go foul pole to foul pole with that power, but at the same time, he was chasing that power [early on],” Thames said.

Baseball is a game of comps, and Caglianone receives his fair share. That can be hard to shake as a young player.

Thames reminded him of the only name he should try to be like.

“What does Jac do?” Caglianone said of Thames’ advice. “Stop trying to be somebody else. Do what you do. Do what you do well, and the results will be there. But you have to buy into that, knowing that your skillset is good enough to play here.”

That conversation happened sometime in May. Caglianone doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that he took off in June, with a .309/.387/.649 slash line and nine homers that month.

“It was all about shaping his routine in the cage to slow him down because he’s really talented,” Thames said. “It’s just his process inside so we can let the athlete play outside.”

The routine emphasizes Caglianone’s position, allowing pitches to come to him rather than lunging toward them. He’s making adjustments quicker and continuing to trust his process when things don’t go his way. That will be the case after Wednesday, especially with two of Caglianone’s at-bats coming with runners in scoring position that could have flipped the game. The Blue Jays pitched him tough, treating him like the hitter he’s shown himself to be: A game-changer.

Success does not mean home runs, either. When Caglianone is hitting line drives to the gap, he’s in a good spot.

“Now he’s staying on the baseball, but he’s staying on it because he’s in a good position,” Thames said. “If he’s lunging at it, it’s a ground ball to first and he’s mad. Even in his work, he’s seeing the results.”

Caglianone added: “I want to have that true backspin, feel like I’m splitting the gaps. Nobody ever wants to try and hit homers. I’m trying to stay within myself and ease up off the gas pedal.”

No longer is Caglianone taking hundreds of swings pregame. It’s 50-100 swings and studying the opposing pitcher. He finds his feel, understands his foundation -- and then goes out to play.

“You just watch him, and even on deck, I see him get those muscle memories of how he wants to land, so it’s paying off for him,” Thames said. “And it’s paying off for the team, because when he’s going, he can carry a team for a while."