Is it still too early for the KC Royals to call up Jac Caglianone?

The excitement over KC Royals top prospect Jac Caglianone has only ramped up since he was called up to the club's Triple-A squad instead of calming down a bit. If the team thought the calls to bring him to Kansas City would quiet once it became clear he had to adjust to a new league, even they probably didn't expect him to dominate at that level the way he has. However, people who think his scorching hot start means he's headed up again all that soon might be deeply disappointed.

Yes, the slugging budding superstar has hit five home runs in his last four games. Seeing that performance goes a long way to convincing people Triple-A isn't hard enough for him. But it should be pointed out that so far, the former Florida Gator has only faced one team and one pitching staff.

Jac Caglianone is crushing Triple-A, but the KC Royals are playing the long game

One of the oddities of Minor League scheduling has been on full display since the KC Royals prospect was promoted from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Instead of a three or four-game series, the Omaha Stormchasers have spent the entire week (six straight games) playing the Salt Lake Bees. Sure, he showed off incredible power, including hitting a mind-boggling 459-foot blast. But there's certainly an argument to be made that Salt Lake didn't have a chance to adjust how to pitch to Caglianone.

The next phase of the Royals' top prospect's season begins on Tuesday. He'll play a second Triple-A team in front of a raucous crowd, primarily because of him. He'll walk to the plate with fans screaming their heads off and expecting another mammoth blast. It's time for him to show he can perform even when fans expect it. His first week was more of a "whoa we didn't know he could do that so soon!" Now, the expectations have changed.

Calling up John Rave rather than Caglianone when the team sent down Cavan Biggio was an indication the big league club understands how this works and is handling things the right way.

The smart play here is to ensure that Jac Caglianone's .346/.357/.923/1.280 opening slash line with 5 home runs and 10 RBI isn't just a hot start. It certainly seems the KC Royals understand that and will continue to take their time with the slugger, making sure that when he does finally make his Kauffman debut, it will be a successful one.