Will donning an OF glove get Caglianone to KC sooner? He's giving it a try
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Jac Caglianone has gotten accustomed to hitting baseballs over the heads of outfielders. Now the first baseman is becoming one of them.
The Royals' No. 1 prospect, a former college two-way sensation primarily focusing on hitting in 2025, started in right field for Kansas City's Double-A affiliate Northwest Arkansas on Thursday at Arvest Ballpark.
Caglianone drifted back to the warning track and reeled in a line drive for the Naturals in the second inning -- his first putout as an outfielder. By the end of the 4-2 loss to Tulsa, he had notched four outs in his first professional start in the outfield.
The Royals' 2024 first-round pick never manned the outfield during his three seasons at Florida. MLB's No. 20 prospect only pitched and played first base for the Gators.
With an estimated arrival to the big leagues set for 2026, Caglianone is adding versatility to his r¨¦sum¨¦ as he looks to ascend the Royals' organizational ladder. He entered Thursday with a .300/.374/.529 slash line with four homers, four doubles and 20 RBIs through his first 17 games of the season at Double-A.
"I think he did an incredible job, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse, the way that he responded to the other guys, the way they responded to him," Royals manager Matt Quatraro told MLB.com in March. "You could tell he earned their respect very quickly for the way he goes about it. He's a pro, and that happened quickly."
In an eventful start to his first full professional season, Caglianone has already made headlines at the plate with some long homers, two hits off future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw during the southpaw's rehab assignment and a 120.9 mph single.