Caglianone FAQ: What does the Royals' top prospect bring to KC lineup?

ST. LOUIS -- Jac Caglianone is officially in the big leagues after debuting Tuesday at Busch Stadium against the Cardinals.

It’s no secret how powerful Caglianone’s left-handed bat can be. It’s why he’s the Royals’ top prospect and MLB’s No. 10 overall prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.

It’s why everyone is so excited about the 22-year-old from Florida -- the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft less than a year ago.

“I’ve been dreaming of this day ever since I could really comprehend the idea of being a professional baseball player,” Caglianone said.

After just 355 plate appearances in the Minors, Caglianone has made it to the bigs. So what’s next?

Where will he play?
Caglianone’s debut came as the designated hitter. Manager Matt Quatraro said the DH role was just to get Caglianone settled in -- there was a lot going on throughout the day, let alone the game.

As Caglianone does get into a big league routine, most of his playing time will be in right field. First base is a bit of a logjam with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, but Caglianone could start there if Pasquantino is DH-ing and Perez is catching that day.

Defense on the grass will be a work in progress for Caglianone, who has worked extensively out there for the past few weeks with longtime coach Rusty Kuntz. There might be growing pains, but the Royals feel confident he can handle it -- and will learn from each experience.

Quatraro will likely avoid moving Caglianone between the corner outfield spots right now, so expect to see him just in right field and not left, at least to start his career.

Where will he hit?
Caglianone was slotted sixth in the lineup on Tuesday, right behind Perez, who was moved down with Maikel Garcia hitting third and Pasquantino hitting cleanup. Quatraro likes to balance his lineup between the right-handed hitters and lefties as much as he can, so Pasquantino and Caglianone will likely be broken up in the lineup for the most part.

With Caglianone’s power, he’s the perfect bat to have in that middle part of the order. Production could move him up in the lineup even more to get him more at-bats.

How can he help this offense?
Let Bobby Witt Jr. answer this question:

“Just the presence of him in the box, first and foremost,” Witt said. “But then also just the power, the production he has. I know that people say our power is down, but it’s just kind of part of it. But him being in the lineup, holding that presence, I think it’s going to help everyone.”

The Royals’ power is lacking; their 34 home runs entering Tuesday ranked last in baseball, their 81 wRC+ ranked fourth-worst and their .113 ISO ranked second-worst.

The key is that the Royals need all of their hitters to improve.

“Where I would caution him is, he’s not a savior to this offense,” Pasquantino said. “Nor should he think he is. Nor should anybody think he is. That’s like the most unfair thing you can do to somebody. He just needs to come into this lineup and be his best self. His best self is what helps us the most -- not him trying to do too much or try to save the offense.”

So what is his ‘best self’?
Have we mentioned Caglianone has power yet?

In 12 games with Triple-A Omaha (54 plate appearances), Caglianone averaged a 93.4 mph exit velocity and had a 17.5% barrel rate and 57.5% hard-hit rate.

Caglianone does swing a lot -- 56% of pitches in Triple-A -- which can come with chase and strikeouts. But the Royals were extremely pleased with the adjustments Caglianone made in-game and between games while he was in Triple-A the past two weeks.

“The other thing that’s become a little more evident is that because he has incredible reach in his swing, he’s able to get away with some things that some guys don’t,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “Because he’s so strong and he covers the outer part of the plate really well. It doesn’t mean that this isn’t going to be a challenge for him. These are the best pitchers in the world who can pitch to a game plan and make pitches. There are going to be some ups and downs, but that’s all part of a young player getting to the big leagues.”

Will he pitch at all?
No. Caglianone was drafted as a two-way player out of Florida, and the Royals did discuss letting him pitch last year. But over the offseason, they decided to just have him hit -- that was the fastest way they thought he would get to the big leagues.

Turns out that was correct.

If all goes as planned, Caglianone might not ever have to take the mound. That means his career as a hitter has taken off like he and the Royals would like it to go.